Arsenal suffered a severe setback to their title hopes as they lost significant points against West Ham on Sunday afternoon at the London Stadium. Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard scored to give the Gunners an early 2-0 lead. However, after Gabriel Magalhaes gave away a penalty by bringing down Lucas Paqueta in the box and Bukayo Saka missed his at the other end, the Hammers fought back to earn a point.
With a game played more, the draw puts Arsenal four points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings. In ten days time, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal squares off against Pep Guardiola’s Man City in a tantalising match at the Etihad, which could finally decide which way the Premier League title goes. However, there have been a lot of transfer developments off the pitch as the summer window draws nearer.
Arsenal identify two alternatives to Ollie Watkins
Following an outstanding campaign in the East Midlands, Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa is reportedly being monitored by the Gunners. Arsenal, according to Football Insider, is one of many Premier League teams keeping an eye on Watkins’ status as the 27-year-old enters contract negotiations with the Villans.
While there is no indication that Watkins won’t extend his contract at Villa Park, he might be persuaded to leave if a compelling offer comes in. However, his first motive remains to sign a new contract with the Midlands club, given he is evidently loving life under new manager Unai Emery. Watkins has had a change in fortunes since the arrival of the ex-Arsenal manager, scoring an impressive 13 goals in 19 games under him.
This comes as a blow to the Gunners, who were looking to poach the striker from Villa Park this summer in a bid to strengthen their frontline. Although they signed Gabriel Jesus in the summer, have Eddie Nketiah to deputise for the Brazilian, and academy starlet Folarin Balogun firing on all cylinders in his loan spell with Reims, the Gunners expect either of the latter two, or both to leave in the summer.
And with Watkins set to extend his stay at Villa, Arsenal have now drawn up a two-man shortlist as alternative options to the England international. According to Football Insider, the Gunners have identified Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus and Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton as alternative targets this summer.
Arteta is thought to be in the market for another striker, and has reportedly restricted his options to two forwards. The report adds the Spaniard believes since Nketiah and Jesus have similar playing styles, he is ready to bolster his forward lineup with a more ‘strong, powerful and physically demanding forward’.
Arsenal made an attempt to acquire Vlahovic in January 2022, only for the Serb to ultimately join Juventus for £62 million. However, latest reports suggest Juventus would be willing to move the player on in the summer transfer window. Vlahovic’s recent disappointing performances have made him no longer untouchable, and as a result, Juventus are looking to recoup their £62m by selling him for a high price.
Meanwhile, another long-term Arsenal target, Calvert-Lewin, has had a difficult season at Everton due to a string of injuries. This season, he has only made 12 appearances for the Toffees, scoring once. Calvert-Lewin would probably be far less expensive option than Vlahovic for the Gunners, although a move for the England international would be quite surprising given his struggles with injuries.