Ollie Watkins declares Arsenal transfer ‘dream’ as Brentford striker wins award
Boyhood Arsenal fan Ollie Watkins has revealed it is his “dream” to secure a transfer to the Emirates one day.
Watkins, currently at Brentford , has had an outstanding season so far, spearheading the Bees bid for promotion to the Premier League with 22 goals – a figure only surpassed by Fulham’s Aleksandr Mitrovic.
Converted into a striker to fill the gap vacated by Neal Maupay’s £20m move to Brighton, Watkins is in the form of his life and has been linked with moves to several top flight clubs.
The likes of West Ham and Newcastle are among those rumoured to hold an interest in the 24-year-old but he has admitted that he would like to join Arsenal.
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Speaking at the London Football Awards where he was named the EFL Player of the Year, Watkins was asked about a potential switch to the Emirates.
“Yeah, the dream,” he told Sports Gazzette . “That's the dream to play for Arsenal one day. But, you know, it's a long shot.”
The forward grew up as a fan of the Gunners and counts club legend Thierry Henry as one of his heroes.
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“Thierry Henry is my sporting hero, I grew up watching him as I support Arsenal,” Watkins has previously said.
“I try to base my game on his, by driving at defenders and looking to make something happen when I get the ball.”
Watkins has been compared to Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo by current boss Thomas Frank, who believes the forward’s versatility is one of his key attributes.
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“It's a big comparison so I don't want to go down that route but, in a way, I've mentioned it now,” Frank told the Wandsworth Guardian .
“He's like a Ronaldo-type, that he can play as a nine or he can play to the side, or he can play as a 10, but because he's so versatile he has abilities you can benefit off in all positions.”
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