Arsenal have only signed one player aged 29 or over since Mikel Arteta was appointed as head coach in December 2019. Should they complete a late move for Ollie Watkins in the January transfer window, then that will become two.
Following on from Jorginho two years ago, Watkins would become just the second player in this category to be signed under the Arteta regime. Unlike Jorginho, who came in on the cheap as a short-term solution and injection of experience into a young squad, Watkins is a world away in more ways than one.
Not only is his price six times higher and rising after Aston Villa rejected an opening £60million bid earlier this month – but he is also in the upper bracket of quality. Jorginho was going to be out of contract in the summer after Arsenal bought him. His deal was an initial two-and-a-half years.
For Watkins, in order to prize him away from Villa it would take a significantly longer and bigger outlay. His wages, as one of the Premier League’s top strikers, would be much larger and he would surely be demanding at least a four-year commitment.
For Arsenal, that would take Watkins to his 33rd birthday and beyond. He is currently contracted at Villa until 2028. Their commitment to him here is unlike anything we have seen at the club for a while.
Jorginho was a stop-gap and a useful addition. Watkins is someone with a lot more to offer in terms of lifting the team through the rest of the season and beyond.
