Arsenal sent new Ollie Watkins transfer update with Aston Villa to be 'demanding' over striker - Gunners have made a shock late swoop for England striker and boyhood fan before Monday’s deadline

Unai Emery insists he does not want to lose Ollie Watkins and says Aston Villa will be ‘very demanding’ in any possible deal involving the striker after Arsenal ’s failed £60m offer. The Gunners launched a stunning move for Watkins in the final week of the January transfer window, but saw their opening bid worth £60m knocked back by Aston Villa.

Mikel Arteta is said to be a long-standing admirer of the England striker, and the Gunners are now working on what would be a stunning swoop ahead of next week's winter transfer deadline. The odds are stacked against Arsenal, given that Watkins has more than three years left to run on his contract and is a key player for Unai Emery.