Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit claims the club would have preferred to sign two other strikers instead of Ollie Watkins but have resorted to a last-minute move out of panic in the final week of the transfer window.
Arsenal are reportedly considering a second bid for England international Watkins after their initial £60m offer was rejected by Aston Villa. While the bid was made earlier in the week, news of it only surfaced on Wednesday evening, just before Villa’s Champions League match against Celtic.
With the transfer deadline approaching, Mikel Arteta is eager to bring in a striker to boost Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League and possibly competing for European honors. Watkins, a consistently strong Premier League forward over the past three seasons, would be an upgrade on Kai Havertz, especially with Gabriel Jesus sidelined for the rest of the campaign due to injury.
Petit acknowledges that Watkins would perform well at the Emirates but believes Arsenal’s interest stems from panic rather than strategic planning. Earlier in the transfer window, the club was linked with other strikers, and Petit suggests that Arsenal would have preferred Alexander Isak or Victor Osimhen.
The Gunners had shown interest in Isak, who has scored 18 goals in his last 18 appearances, but Newcastle United’s valuation of over £100m proved to be a major obstacle. Osimhen has also been frequently linked with a move to the Premier League and nearly joined Chelsea last summer.
Speaking at an event, Petit described the potential Watkins signing as a reactionary decision rather than a well-thought-out plan. He admitted he admires Watkins’ competitiveness, goal-scoring ability, and physical presence but insists Arsenal originally had other targets in mind. He believes Isak would have been the ideal choice for Arsenal, while Osimhen’s character might have posed challenges for the club.
Beyond the striker situation, Petit also expressed concerns over Arsenal’s squad depth, particularly in midfield. He pointed out that Mikel Arteta struggles to maintain a strong starting lineup every three days and emphasized the need for reinforcements to improve competition within the squad.
While he hopes Arsenal can challenge Liverpool for the title, Petit worries that injuries to key players, such as Martin Ødegaard, weaken the team significantly. He argues that Arsenal need another creative midfielder to step in when Ødegaard is unavailable, ensuring a strong link between midfield and attack.