Arsenal icon Paul Merson has urged his former side to go out and sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
The Gunners are in need of a long-term centre-forward, given Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are into the final six months of their contracts at the club, whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future remains uncertain.
football.london understands that the north Londoners would be open to offers for Aubameyang, who was stripped of the club's captaincy last month following a disciplinary breach.
Mikel Arteta's side have been linked with a move for the likes of Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina and Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as well as Villa frontman Watkins, who Merson thinks would be the perfect fit at the Emirates Stadium.
“Aston Villa are crying out for a superstar,” he told Sky Sports. “They have got one (Phillipe Coutinho). You don’t lose talent. You can’t teach that. That’s not taught.
“This lad carried Liverpool, at times. It’s the way Steven Gerrard plays him, let teams worry about him, rather him having to track back some average player back to his own box.
“But, if I was Arsenal now, I would go and steam in to try and get Watkins. If I was Arsenal.”
Watkins, who is valued at £31.5million on Transfermarkt, has previously admitted it would be his dream to play for the Gunners, who he supported when he was growing up.
“That’s the dream, to play for Arsenal one day. But, you know, it’s a long shot,” the England international said during the 2020 London Football Awards.
"I'm an Arsenal fan so Thierry Henry was my [idol], he's unbelievable to watch. He was the idol growing up really."
