Arsenal target Watkins keen to stay at Villa
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has said that Ollie Watkins wants to stay at the club despite strong interest from Arsenal.
Villa rejected a bid for Watkins from Mikel Arteta's Gunners, who are in the market for a striker before the transfer window closes on 31 January.
Emery's side allowed Jhon Duran to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in a deal reportedly worth up to £71 million ($141.7 million) on Friday, but is hopeful of keeping the England international for the remainder of the season.
"Yes, he is happy to stay," Emery said of Watkins, who scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 4-2 win against Celtic in midweek.
Watkins, who netted in the 60th minute and also assisted two of Morgan Rogers's three goals against the Scottish side, has now both scored and assisted in four different games for Villa in all competitions this season, with only Mohamed Salah (9) and Bukayo Saka (6) having done so more often for a Premier League side this term.
"You can ask him, but we asked him how he is feeling every day, every year he has been here with Aston Villa, with us and without us," Emery said.
The 29-year-old has scored 81 goals in 201 matches for Villa after signing from Brentford in 2020.
Watkins is also only the second Villa player after Gabriel Agbonlahor to be directly involved in 100 Premier League goals (61 goals, 39 assists).
Watkins reached the century against West Ham United last week, taking only 169 appearances to do so, which is 108 fewer than Agbonlahor (277).
"The commitment of Watkins with us is a huge commitment. He appreciates a lot how Villa was always supporting him, helping him, and when we [the current coaching staff] joined him here two years ago, how we worked with him, always trying to get the best of him," Emery said.
"Now we need him, like he needed Villa. The conversation we are having usually, I am speaking with him a lot, he is always adapting of every circumstance we have in the squad and individually with him.
"When there are some teams calling us being interested in the players, of course it is very good for us and very good for the players.
"Some players prefer to leave and some players accept to stay here, to be here and commit with us here and to be with our challenge. One of those is Watkins."
Villa, which is eighth in the Premier League with 37 points from 23 matches, faces 18th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, which is on a four-match losing run, this weekend.
