The pursuit of Ollie Watkins was 'not unanimous' at Arsenal before Mikel Arteta's 'stance won out' with the Aston Villa striker 'excited' about joining.

A late pivot to focus on the forward line led to an opportunistic attempt to sign Ollie Watkins and discussions over Alvaro Morata

The chances of Watkins being one of those continues to dwindle especially following Jhon Duran's confirmed switch to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. Following a major update on Saturday, Arteta's pursuit of the 27-year-old looks to have been further derailed.

Villa have already raked in a hefty £64 million transfer fee when they sanctioned Jhon Duran's sale to Al Nassr, so a cash influx at this stage is insufficient to justify a sale for Watkins. Romano also noted exclusively to GIVEMESPORT that Unai Emery was "pushing internally" to avoid parting ways with his man this window.

Mikel Arteta has remained clear in his belief that Arsenal can achieve something special this season, but actions speak louder than words. And, if Arsenal’s approach for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins tells us anything, it is that Arteta really does believe there is still plenty to play for.

Premier League clubs will be scrambling to get business done before tonight’s deadline, with interest in Bayern Munich’s Tel and and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins

Arsenal remain interested in finalising a deal for Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins before the end of Transfer Deadline Day. The Gunners lodged an enquiry to sign Watkins last week, but their initial offer of €48 million (£40m) was immediately rebuffed by Unai Emery’s side.