Declan Rice reacts to Ollie Watkins message amid Arsenal transfer developments
Arsenal star Declan Rice has gone public in his reaction to Ollie Watkins as Aston Villa exit links continue to build.
The summer is bound to be busy at Villa Park as PSR concerns once again come into view, as they did nearly 12 months ago.
This could force Unai Emery into a big player sale with the England international strongly linked with a move away from B6.
With that being said, the reaction of Rice to the 29-year-old certainly paints an interesting picture ahead of the transfer window.
Rice reacts after Watkins strike v Bournemouth
There has been plenty of noise surrounding the striker after weeks of controversy and questions surrounding his future.
This kicked off when the ex-Brentford man revealed he was “fuming” to see Marcus Rashford be selected ahead of him in the Champions League clashes against PSG.
As a result, links to Arsenal continued to build for Watkins, with Mikel Arteta’s side in desperate need of a recognised striker right now.
Despite all this, the Englishman was able to shut out the noise on 10 May to net the winner for the Villans in a much-needed win against Bournemouth.
This saw the forward overtake Gabby Agbonlahor as Villa’s all-time top Premier League scorer, which he took to Instagram to celebrate.
| Name | Aston Villa Premier League goals |
| Ollie Watkins | 75 |
| Gabby Agbonlahor | 74 |
| Dwight Yorke | 60 |
| Dion Dublin | 48 |
| Juan Pablo Angel | 44 |
He said: “Proud to be the All-Time Premier League Goal Scorer for this club. Something I’ve had my eyes on since I joined. I couldn’t have done it without these boys and my family.”
This post was liked by Arsenal midfielder Rice, potentially pointing towards a link between Watkins and the North London club ahead of the summer.
Watkins may still leave Aston Villa for Arsenal
The ex-Brentford man scored the goal and patted the Villa badge to celebrate, but the summer could still prove to be an interesting one.
There is no doubt that sales will be needed to help fund any business for Monchi, who will once again want to add to his already positive business.
This could see a move for Watkins to Arsenal make sense for all parties, as frustrating as it may be to lose the striker at this stage.
It will certainly be interesting to see what happens and how the Villans navigate through what is bound to be yet another frustrating summer.