Aston Villa have rejected a bid from Arsenal for striker Ollie Watkins.
The Gunners have stepped up their search for a frontman in the January transfer window by turning their attention to England international Watkins, with the offer reported to be around £60m.
Villa have turned it down and are set in their stance that Watkins is not for sale.
Watkins has been a key man in Villa's rise to the top table of English football under Unai Emery.
His 28 goals in all competitions last season helped fire Villa to Champions League football for the first time while also making the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.
He then scored the goal which sent England to the Euro 2024 final, with a memorable last-minute winner against the Netherlands.
The 29-year-old has proved to be one of the top forwards in the Premier League and his assist in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham saw him go to 100 goal contributions in 169 games.
Watkins signed a new five-year contract in 2023 so Villa are under no pressure to sell.
Villa are also reported to be fielding interest in fellow striker Jhon Duran, with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr said to be in talks over a possible move before next Monday’s transfer deadline.
Villa midfielder Emi Buendia has joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan for the rest of the season after signing a contract extension at Villa Park.
The 28-year-old has not started a match in the Premier League for Emery’s side this season but has appeared 12 times from the bench.
Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Lecce's Patrick Dorgu.
Ruben Amorim’s progress since taking over as head coach in November has been hindered somewhat by the squad’s composition, with a lack of options at left wing-back a key issue.
United have targeted Dorgu, 20, to help bolster that area and the talented Denmark international is edging closer to becoming the Portuguese’s first signing.
An initial €30m plus €5m in add-ons is understood to have been largely agreed with Serie A side Lecce as progress continues on a deal that now needs finalising.
Dorgu’s arrival in England to complete the move may not come on Wednesday, when United head to Bucharest to round off the new-look Europa League group stage against FCSB on Thursday night.
Amorim’s ability to overhaul the squad has been restricted this month due to the club’s challenging profit and sustainability considerations.
Big-money flop Antony has so far been the only major outgoing, having last week joined Real Betis on loan for the remainder of the season.
The La Liga club are covering at least 84% of his salary, with further potential bonuses worked into an agreement that does not include an option to make the move permanent.
Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Alejandro Garnacho are among those whose futures are subject of speculation ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.
