Ollie Watkins' Arsenal background, transfer dream, family’s stance, secret chat

Boyhood Arsenal fan Ollie Watkins could yet see himself dragged into the centre of a transfer saga following his standout performance at Euro 2024.

The Aston Villa striker won over fans nationwide with his last-minute goal for England in their 2-1 victory against the Netherlands on Wednesday (July 10), propelling the Three Lions into their second consecutive European Championship final – this time vs Spain.

It's been an unforgettable season for the 28-year-old, who scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in the Premier League, helping Villa secure Champions League qualification for the first time since the 1982/83 season, reports the Mirror.

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His stellar form early last season earned him a new five-year contract with the Midlands club, effectively safeguarding his soaring market value – rumoured to be a staggering €100million (£85.7million).

If any club is willing to pay such a hefty sum for Watkins' services, the striker himself - along with his family - will be hoping it's Arsenal, given the deep-rooted affinity for the club within the Watkins family.

Watkins, a lifelong Arsenal fan, broke the hearts of fellow supporters last season when his goal in Villa's 2-0 win over the Gunners at the Emirates dashed their hopes of a first Premier League title since 2004. The striker has confessed in the past that his family, especially his grandad and uncle, are devoted Arsenal fans and would have been less than thrilled.

"I'm not sure my grandad or uncle Baz are going to be too happy! " Watkins told Sky Sports after a 3-0 win for Villa at Arsenal back in 2020, in which Watkins scored. "They are Arsenal fans and I am an Arsenal fan myself - but I'm buzzing. I am sure they will love it really. I am over the moon."

The striker has never hidden his affection for the Gunners, confessing in 2020 that his dream is to play for the club. Speaking to the Sports Gazette at the 2020 London Football Awards, the then-Brentford star revealed: "That's the dream, to play for Arsenal one day. But, you know, it's a long shot".

Following in the footsteps of his self-professed idol Thierry Henry could be a goal for the Devon native who previously disclosed a secret conversation he had with Declan Rice last season following rumours that the striker was on Arsenal's radar.

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Rather than discussing whether the striker would join Rice in the famous red kit, the pair discussed Villa's chances of winning the Europa Conference League before their semi-final match against Olympiacos, which Villa later lost 6-2 on aggregate.

Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: "I spoke to Dec (Declan Rice) at England. [He was] confident that we're going to win it. We're confident ourselves but you never know what's going to happen. You never know with these teams. Lille put us under a lot of pressure and it's going to be difficult but I think we have got the squad to do it."

Despite Aston Villa's firm stance on keeping their star player, it's unclear whether Arsenal would be tempted to make a substantial offer for Watkins, who is undoubtedly in the prime of his career and on the brink of making his mark in English football history.

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Can Aston Villa keep hold of Ollie Watkins this summer? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below