Unai Emery breaks silence on Ollie Watkins future following £60m Arsenal bid

Unai Emery has issued a hands-off warning to clubs interested in Ollie Watkins, making it clear the striker remains a vital player for Aston Villa.

Arsenal are understood to have made a surprise bid for Watkins on Monday and Villa quickly rebuffed the approach. Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday that the offer was worth around £60 million, though that figure has been refuted by sources close to Villa.

The stance for Watkins - not for sale unless a huge offer is received - has been clear whenever teams have shown an interest in the past and the England international is tied down until October 2028 after extending his contract 14 months ago.

Villa have been even more reluctant to sell Watkins with fellow striker Jhon Duran at the centre of intense transfer speculation. West Ham United and Chelsea were both close to signing the Colombian in the summer, the Hammers returned with a bid only a week or so ago, and Paris Saint-Germain enquired over his availability.

Duran is now on the verge of signing Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, where he is expected to join up with legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s understood a medical has been scheduled on Thursday after Villa accepted an offer in the region of £64.5 million plus add-ons.

If Watkins wasn’t for sale before the Duran news broke, he certainly won’t be now – unless a ridiculous bid arrives. When asked about the situation after the vital 4-2 win over Celtic in the UEFA Champions League, Emery admitted: “I don’t want (to sell), it’s good news for interest from other clubs but I want to keep our objective through the players we have in the squad.

“Every player can be in the market in case it’s good for the player, the club and the team but to get this deal of course we are going to be very demanding as well. Watkins is our striker,” Emery assured.

On Duran, the head coach added: “I don’t know for certain until everything is done but if he is leaving, it's because they are paying good money. Of course, we are in the eyes for other strong teams and other leagues like in Arabia. It’s something I can feel proud of.

“He’s a fantastic player with fantastic potential. I've always given my advice, I was so close with him in his development. But the players have their objectives and ambitions, in case he’s leaving it’s because he prefers to do another way in his career.”