Former Aston Villa forward Andy Gray has encouraged Arsenal to launch a £100million bid to secure the services of Aston Villa’s star striker Ollie Watkins before the January transfer window closes.

Speaking on beIN SPORTS, Gray acknowledged Villa’s rejection of Arsenal’s initial £60million offer and highlighted Watkins’ finishing ability, which he believes surpasses that of Arsenal’s Germany international Kai Havertz.

“I would be amazed if Aston Villa decided, for any money, to part ways with Ollie Watkins,” Gray said. “Arsenal are his boyhood club, so it’s always a dream to play for them, especially when they’re this good.”

Gray emphasized Watkins’ potential impact at Arsenal, citing the team’s creativity and Watkins’ instinctive finishing ability as reasons why he would thrive at the Emirates.

“He is a better finisher than Kai Havertz and knows how to play in that position better,” Gray added. “In Arsenal’s team, with the chances they create, he would score a lot of goals.”

With only days left in the transfer window, Gray suggested Arsenal might need to act decisively: “Throw £100million on the table and see if that tempts them.”

Despite Arsenal’s urgency to sign a striker, Gray expressed hope that Villa would retain Watkins, particularly given uncertainties surrounding fellow striker Jhon Durán.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has criticized Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca for making comments that he believes have negatively impacted the Blues’ Premier League campaign.

Chelsea had emerged as surprise title contenders earlier in the season after some impressive performances. However, Maresca repeatedly stated that his team wasn’t yet ready to compete with top clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City for the Premier League title.

Chelsea’s form has since dipped, winning only one of their last four league games, and they now sit in sixth place, 13 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Wright feels that Maresca’s remarks have had a detrimental effect on the team. Speaking on the *Wrighty’s House* podcast, he said, “I found it strange – it didn’t need to be said. At some stage, there was going to be some form of drop-off without him saying that and giving them an excuse.”

He continued, “He should have just said it’s brilliant and we’re ahead of schedule and we will see where we are. That’s what you do.”

Wright also pointed to Nuno Espirito Santo’s more measured approach with his team, saying, “Nuno would never say something like that about [Nottingham] Forest… just play. It gets into the player’s heads and gives them a get out of jail free card.”

While Wright acknowledged that Chelsea may not have won the title, he expressed his belief that the team could have avoided their recent slump. “I’m not saying they would have won the title, but I would like to think they wouldn’t have gone on a run like this after doing so well.”

Reflecting on Chelsea’s earlier performances, Wright recalled, “They were playing so well and looking so dangerous. I remember sending messages saying Chelsea scare me, Chelsea are dangerous.”

He concluded, “Why would you throw that [comment] into the mix? If Chelsea get the Champions League, magnificent. Now they might be looking at the Europa League with the way it’s dropping off.”