Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has again insisted that Ollie Watkins will not be leaving the club in the January transfer window.
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Emery says Watkins is happyArsenal made bid for English strikerVilla looking to close Rashford loan after Duran saleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The English striker was the subject of a bid from Arsenal this week as the Gunners aim to bolster their injury-plagued front-line. The offer was quickly rebuffed by an 'angry' Villa who were upset with the timing of the bid before their key Champions League clash with Celtic. Ahead of their game against Wolves, in which Watkins was selected to start, Emery claimed his striker is not agitating for a move away from the club.
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Before the game, Emery said: "We asked him how he is feeling being with Villa and he is happy here."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Villa will be even more reluctant to sell their talisman after Jhon Duran's transfer to Al-Nassr was confirmed on Friday. Watkins and the Colombian had been sharing the striking duties this season, but with Duran moving to Saudi Arabia, it would take a massive fee for Arsenal to tempt Villa to part with the Englishman. However, with Manchester United's Marcus Rashford edging closer to a loan spell in the Midlands, Emery's attacking options will be strengthened before the end of the window.
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Watkins helped Villa secured passage to the round of 16 in the Champions League where they will face either the winners of Club Brugge against Atalanta or Sporting CP against Borussia Dortmund. The Villains also have work to do if they are to qualify for next year's competition as they are sitting in 8th place in the Premier League.
