Arsenal slammed over ‘crazy’ transfer decision in January

Ex-Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant has taken aim at his former club for failing to stump up the cash required to prise Ollie Watkins away from Aston Villa.

A season-ending injury to Gabriel Jesus and Mikel Arteta’s perceived overreliance on Kai Havertz as a false No.9 role intensified calls for a proven goalscorer to be added to Arsenal’s squad in January.

Arteta even confirmed that Arsenal would be exploring every possible avenue to strengthen up front but the deadline came and went without a single signing being made in north London.

A number of top strikers were linked with moves, including Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and even Alvaro Morata, who would go on to join Galatasaray on loan.

With days remaining of the transfer window, though, Arsenal set their sights on Watkins, testing Villa’s resolve with an ambitious offer to land the 29-year-old England international.

Watkins, a lifelong Arsenal fan, has previously spoken of his ‘dream’ to play for the Gunners at some stage of his career and was reportedly ready to agree terms over a switch to the Emirates.

But crucially, Villa had no interest in losing one of their key men midway through the season, especially in the wake of Jhon Duran’s move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr, and the bid was swiftly rejected.

‘Yeah, I was a little surprised by that [Arsenal’s failure to strengthen],’ former Arsenal, Liverpool and Stoke attacker Pennant told Tribal Football.

‘We’ve seen certain games where they are missing that little bit of sharpness, that little bit of cutting edge in front of goal at times.

‘I don’t think they have made their title challenge any easier by not getting a striker in.

‘They’ve still got enough ability, but I think they are now putting their hopes on Liverpool slipping up rather than Arsenal catching Liverpool. 

Pennant believes Arsenal’s overreliance on Havertz for goals will ultimately prove ‘costly’ in their attempts to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.

‘With a striker, there’d be a little bit more pressure on Liverpool,’ he added.

‘We’ve seen Havertz have many chances, but not put the ball away. At some point that will prove costly.

‘We’ve seen what Ollie Watkins has done throughout his tenure at Aston Villa. He can score goals, he’s a threat behind, he can hold up the ball.’

According to Pennant, Arsenal’s reluctance to pay the required money for Watkins is ‘crazy’ given their apparent need for an out-and-out centre-forward.

‘You would say he’s your modern-day number nine. Yes, he’s 29, but he looks in great shape,’ he went on.

‘He can give you at least three or four years without a shadow of a doubt. If you look at Harry Kane, he’s still putting in the numbers at Bayern Munich.

‘Not being willing to spend the £60 million in this day and age and in this market for an England striker is crazy. Especially when you spent £65 million on Kai Havertz.’

Once the January transfer window had closed for business, Arteta made no secret of the fact he was left bitterly ‘disappointed’ by Arsenal’s failure to bring in any attacking reinforcements.

‘We had a clear intention which is always when a window opens to explore the opportunities to improve our squad,’ the Arsenal head coach told reporters.

‘With players with injuries, we’ve been impacted and we haven’t achieved it.

‘We are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kinds of players and we have to be very disciplined with that as well.

‘When you try your best and do things, you see the people and we share the same intentions, when you don’t achieve it okay, for sure there are things to learn from it.

‘But you have to move on and that is a piece that was important in the moment, but now we’ve moved on.’

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