"Would have been a few names ahead of Ollie Watkins" - Emmanuel Petit names 2 strikers Arsenal would've preferred to sign in January

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has named two strikers that the Gunners would have preferred to sign in the January transfer window ahead of Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins. Arsenal reportedly made a £60million bid for the Englishman a few days ago, which was immediately turned down by Villa.

Petit claimed that the Gunners would have preferred to sign Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak or Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen ahead of the Villa man.

While Mikel Arteta’s men are currently in the second position on the Premier League table, they have struggled in the final third due to inefficient finishing. To that end, they have been linked with a number of strikers.

Emmanuel Petit recently weighed in on the Gunners' search for a striker in the current transfer window and labeled the club’s bid for Ollie Watkins a "panic buy". Petit told Metro:

''The potential signing of Ollie Watkins to Arsenal feels like a bit of a panic buy. ‘He wasn’t the first-choice target, but with the January transfer window nearing its end, they have had to act.’’

''I’m fairly certain Arsenal would have preferred a different striker. That being said, I do like Watkins as a player. He is highly competitive, has a strong desire to score goals and provide assists, and brings real energy to the attack. He would add a physical presence to Arsenal’s forward line, and with his pace, he offers something different.''

The former French midfielder then named two strikers that the Gunners would prefer to sign instead of Watkins. He added:

''However, there would have been a few names ahead of Ollie Watkins that Arsenal wanted. Alexander Isak possesses everything Arsenal would want and need in an out-and-out striker. I think Victor Osimhen would also have been on the list, but perhaps his personality and character could have been a problem going forward for Arsenal.’’

Mikel Arteta's side have been linked with a move for Isak, but they were reportedly put off by Newcastle’s valuation of £150 million.

''Mikel Arteta is finding it difficult to field a strong starting eleven'' – Emmanuel Petit says Arsenal need to strengthen their squad

Speaking further, Emmanuel Petit opined that his former club need to make some signings this month, claiming that injuries have diminished their squad depth. The Gunners have dealt with multiple injuries this season as their key man, Bukayo Saka, is currently out of action.

Prior to Saka’s injury, Martin Odegaard also missed a number of matches. Adding insult to injury, Gabriel Jesus has been ruled out of the season after picking up an ACL injury in their FA Cup clash with Manchester United.

On the need to sign more players, Petit said:

''I think Arsenal are struggling when it comes to squad depth and options. Mikel Arteta is finding it difficult to field a strong starting eleven every three days. They need to make signings to strengthen the squad and increase competition for places. I hope they have shown they possess the mental strength and consistency required to challenge Liverpool for the Premier League."

''However, my biggest concern is the depth of the bench. When key players from the spine of the team are missing – like we saw when Martin Odegaard was out – the team struggles, and they simply aren’t the same side. That’s why I think they need to sign another creative midfield player—when Odegaard isn’t there, someone needs to step in to link the midfield and attack."

Petit then concluded by saying league leaders Liverpool are head and shoulders above the Gunners in terms of squad depth. He said:

''Right now, there’s no comparison between them and Liverpool in terms of squad depth. Liverpool have a wealth of options and a much stronger overall squad.’