Tottenham Hotspur could ruin Arsenal's Deadline Day plans and throw a spanner in the works for their season.
The Lilywhites sit in the bottom half of the table and have lost twice against the Gunners in the Premier League this season, in what is becoming a forgettable campaign for Ange Postecoglou. Tottenham picked up three valuable points on the road against Brentford at the weekend, as they look to turn their season around.
This week could be pivotal for Postecoglou, who takes a slender 1-0 lead to Anfield in the second-leg of the League Cup semi-final – and he could start the week by foiling Arsenal in what would give fans another boost.
Tottenham might just prevent Arsenal from their dream transfer in Deadline Day snatch
Despite having Bukayo Saka sidelined with a hamstring issue and losing Gabriel Jesus to an anterior cruciate ligament injury earlier this month, Arsenal have not yet dipped into the market to strengthen in attack.
Relayed by transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano in a post on X (formerly Twitter), manager Mikel Arteta admitted that the club are “trying everything we can” to sign a forward when asked about Ollie Watkins – ranked at no.10 in FourFourTwo's list of the best strikers in the world right now – who the Gunners were heavily linked with last week.
Aston Villa have been busy this month to sign former Gunners youth star Donyell Malen and Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford, with Romano confirming on social media that deals for Marco Asensio and Joao Felix are in the works, too.
But while Arsenal fans may be hoping that such an influx of forwards triggers an exit for Watkins, the Italian journalist has dropped the bombshell on his YouTube channel that Tottenham Hotspur have opened discussions over taking Leon Bailey to the capital.
The Jamaica international's transfer would surely kill any chance of another forward leaving Villa Park, especially after Jhon Duran's surprise move to Saudi Arabia. Tottenham would surely welcome much-needed depth in attack, with the chance of scuppering their bitterest rivals in their pursuit of a dream Deadline Day buy an added bonus.
In FourFourTwo's view, Watkins' move to Arsenal seems like too little too late from the Gunners at this stage in the window – though anything could change quickly on Deadline Day. Bailey leaving would obviously be preferable, however, for the Midlands outfit.
With Villa looking to navigate Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), it certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see the Villans sanction another big exit before the end of the window – especially if they have to take on a significant portion of Rashford's wages as part of his loan agreement.
Bailey is worth €38 million, according to Transfermarkt. Spurs take on Liverpool this week in League Cup action, as the semi-finals conclude.
