While Man Utd and Liverpool are vying for Aaron Hickey of Brentford, Arsenal would prefer Ollie Watkins to Ivan Toney.
ARSENAL RATHER USE WATKINS
Ivan Toney is a player who is frequently mentioned as a target for Arsenal (together with Chelsea), but according to FootballTransfers, the Gunners would prefer to sign Ollie Watkins in January since he will be match-ready rather than rusty after serving a suspension for football betting. They assert that Edu has already begun speaking with Watkins’ agent Paulo Vernazza, a former Arsenal player.
According to the report, “sources close to the matter suggest that securing Watkins in the January transfer window could prove challenging but not entirely impossible.” Watkins is an Arsenal supporter and is thought to be a more upstanding player than Toney, who has in the past enraged Mikel Arteta with his arrogance after defeating the Gunners with Brentford.
Watkins’ current contract expires in 2025, and Villa are eager to lock him into a new one, but he is reportedly seeking £150,000 per week.
HICKEY’S BIG GUNS BATTLE
According to Football Insider, winger Aaron Hickey of Brentford is attracting interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool. The Scot is most certainly the most sought-after Premier League right-back outside of the top clubs, thus it seems unlikely that he will remain at Brentford past next summer.
But Hickey won’t be persuaded to push for a transfer in January because he wants to make sure he is participating in first-team games on a regular basis before a potential debut for Scotland at Euro 2024. Furthermore, it is claimed that given the worth of the 21-year-old, the Bees would only consider a “huge” offer.
LIVERPOOL IS CLASSICO’S TARGET
When Real Madrid and Barcelona reportedly want Spain winger Nico Williams on a free transfer when he leaves Athletic Bilbao next summer, the notion of Aston Villa and Liverpool competing for his services last week sounds kind of nice today. Furthermore, no Spanish player moves to England even when Real Madrid and Barcelona are both interested.
They only have an advantage in this “race” if a team outside of Spain can sign him to a pre-contract in January, but Williams will probably wait until the summer and a hefty signing-on fee from Real Madrid or Barcelona, who are rumored to be in contact with him already. In just four La Liga games this season, he has four assists to his name.