Unai Emery says Ollie Watkins is ‘happy to stay’ at Aston Villa and will not join Premier League rivals Arsenal this January transfer window. Earlier this week, Arsenal make an audacious bid to sign England striker Watkins in an effort to rejuvenate their struggling attack. The £60million bid was quickly rejected by Villa with the Gunners set to make an improved offer before the window closes next week.

Reports suggested that the 29-year-old was ‘open’ to the idea of moving to the Emirates, with Villa looking at Chelsea’s Joao Felix as a potential replacement. But speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s game at Wolves, Emery insisted Watkins will not only remain at Villa Park but is fully committed to the club. ‘Yes, he is happy to stay. We asked him how he is feeling every day and year he is being here with Villa and he is happy here,’ the Spanish manager said.

‘The commitment of Ollie Watkins with us is a huge commitment. He appreciates a lot how Villa was always supporting him and helping him, when we joined here two years ago how we were working with him and getting the best of him. ‘Now we need him, like he needed Aston Villa in the last years. I am speaking with him a lot, he is always adapting with every circumstances we have and of course when some teams calling us being interested in the players it’s very good for us and the players.

‘Some players prefer to leave and some accept to stay here and commit with our challenges. One of them is Ollie Watkins.’. The Villans may have been more inclined to sell Watkins if they had not already agreed the sale of fellow striker Jhon Duran who is leaving for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in a deal worth upwards of £64m. Given Watkins’ preference to stay, it will be interesting to see if Arsenal do indeed submit a new offer or look at an alternative target.

Mikel Arteta would not discuss the player specifically in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against Manchester City on Sunday, but claimed his team were still hopeful of signing a new No.9. ‘We are actively looking, proactively, to find a solution in that position and we’ll see what the market bring,’ he said. ‘We look at what we have in this squad and what we are lacking and what can really impact and bring something that potentially can make us much better, regardless of the age or sometimes the background that they have. It’s a real belief that that player can be really good for us over time.

‘It doesn’t depend on us. We have the intention, the purpose and the ambition to try to help the team and support the squad to be better and to finish the season really, really strong. And we are actively trying to do that.’. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Arrow MORE: Pep Guardiola reveals Man City injury update for Arsenal with five stars out.