Arsenal back in for Ollie Watkins?! Gunners put Viktor Gyokeres deal on ice to explore second swoop for Aston Villa striker after failed bid in January

According to Portuguese outlet Record (via The Sun), Arsenal have at least temporarily shelved interest in Gyokeres. It follows unsuccessful talks with Sporting CP, in which the Portuguese champions are said to have held firm over an £85 million ($116m) asking price, with the Gunners only offering £55m ($75m). It was only recently reported that Sporting's insistence on being paid the full release clause, as opposed to a lower amount, is down to a fractious relationship with Gyokeres' agent, who could claim a 10% penalty payment from Sporting if the club rejects any offer over the value of €60m (£51m/$70m).

It appears to have turned Arsenal back onto Watkins. Although not going as far as suggesting that interest in Gyokeres is over, the Mirror has reported that a fresh approach for Watkins is not being ruled out. To keep all options open, the Gunners are weighing up a move for him at the same as still exploring deals for Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko. Arsenal fell short in a late bid to sign Watkins in January because they didn't meet Aston Villa's £60m valuation, but the asking price is unlikely to be different now.

Watkins has scored 75 goals across his five Premier League seasons to date, never dipping below 11 since he first joined Aston Villa from Brentford in the summer of 2020. The 29-year-old, who scored England's winner in the Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands, is the definition of a late bloomer - he was a product of Exeter City's academy and was 24 when he played in the top flight for the first time.

The Gunners need to figure out which striker suits them best. Gyokeres would be the most expensive but isn't proven in one of Europea's top five leagues - Liverpool know first hand from Darwin Nunez that signing Liga Portugal's best striker is not guaranteed success. Sesko is the youngest and therefore offers the most long-term upside, but his goal output in the Bundesliga is respectable rather than outstaning. Watkins wouldn't be much more than a short-term boost, which only kicks the metaphorical can a little further down road.