Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has stated that Ollie Watkins desires to remain on the membership regardless of sturdy curiosity from Arsenal.
Villa rejected a bid for Watkins from Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, who’re available in the market for a striker earlier than the switch window closes on Monday.
Emery’s aspect allowed Jhon Duran to hitch Saudi Professional League membership Al-Nassr in a deal reportedly value as much as £71million on Friday, however are hopeful of retaining the England worldwide for the rest of the season.
“Sure, he’s joyful to remain,” Emery stated of Watkins, who scored his first-ever Champions League purpose in a 4-2 win towards Celtic on Wednesday.
Watkins, who netted within the sixtieth minute and in addition assisted two of Morgan Rogers’ three objectives towards the Scottish aspect, has now each scored and assisted in 4 totally different video games for Villa in all competitions this season, with solely Mohamed Salah (9) and Bukayo Saka (6) having achieved so extra usually for a Premier League aspect this time period.
“You possibly can ask him, however we requested him how he’s feeling on daily basis, yearly he has been right here with Aston Villa, with us and with out us,” Emery stated.
Particular groups. Particular performs. Particular participant.
All 28 of Ollie Watkins’ @PremierLeague purpose involvements up to now this season pic.twitter.com/BuKsARGh84
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 9, 2024
The 29-year-old has scored 81 objectives in 201 matches for Villa after signing from Brentford in 2020.
Watkins can also be solely the second Villa participant after Gabriel Agbonlahor to be instantly concerned in 100 Premier League objectives (61 objectives, 39 assists).
Watkins reached the century towards West Ham final Sunday, taking solely 169 appearances to take action, which is 108 fewer than Agbonlahor (277).
“The dedication of Watkins with us is a large dedication. He appreciates loads how Villa was all the time supporting him, serving to him, and after we [the current coaching staff] joined him right here two years in the past, how we labored with him, all the time making an attempt to get one of the best of him,” stated Emery.
“Now we’d like him, like he wanted Villa. The dialog we’re having often, I’m talking with him loads, he’s all the time adapting of each circumstance we’ve within the squad and individually with him.
“When there are some groups calling us being within the gamers, in fact it is rather good for us and superb for the gamers.
“Some gamers favor to go away and a few gamers settle for to remain right here, to be right here and commit with us right here and to be with our problem. A type of is Watkins.”
Villa, who’re eighth within the Premier League with 37 factors from 23 matches, will face 18th-placed Wolves, who’re on a four-match dropping run, on Saturday.