Emery: Aston Villa won’t sell Watkins to Arsenal

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has insisted the Premier League club will not sell Ollie Watkins after Arsenal made a £60 million ($74 million) bid for the England striker.

Arsenal made the bid hours before the Watkins helped Villa reach the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Emery’s side survived a scare against Celtic to win 4-2 at a raucous Villa Park and seal automatic qualification via an eighth place finish in the league phase.

They had led through Morgan Rogers’ double in the first five minutes, but Adam Idah netted twice in the space of 145 seconds to haul Celtic level just before half-time.

Watkins ignored the speculation over his future as he rescued Villa with a clinical second-half strike to restore their advantage.

The 29-year-old striker missed a penalty after his goal, but Rogers completed the first treble of his career in stoppage time to ensure Villa progressed without the need for a play-off.

Arsenal’s mooted approach for Watkins was ill-timed from Villa’s point of view, given the significance of their clash with the Scottish champions.

Reports after the game suggested Villa had rejected Arsenal’s offer and Emery offered no incentive for the Gunners to increase their attempt to buy a player who has scored 11 times in 32 games this season.

“Watkins is our striker. I know you want to ask about it, but I told you, today is not the day,” a visibly frustrated Emery said.

Transfer: Saudi clubs earmark £1bn for Vinicius as Arsenal move for Duran

Arsenal are looking for a striker after Gabriel Jesus suffered a season-ending knee injury.

If Watkins, who joined Villa from Brentford in 2020, is still at the club when the transfer window closes on Monday, there appears to be a strong chance that Jhon Duran will leave for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.

The Colombia striker has mostly been used as a substitute by Emery despite some impressive performances this term.

Asked about Duran’s future, Emery wouldn’t rule out selling him in a reported £64 million deal.

The former Arsenal manager said: “I don’t know if Jhon Duran is leaving but if he is, it is good news for us because he is leaving because it is good money.

“Tomorrow or Friday we can talk about the transfer. Until everything is done I don’t want to speak, because in football everything can happen.

“The club is working and trying to compete in the transfer window because we need some players. Some can leave, but it is not time to speak about it.”

The Star