EPL: He’s not elite – Alan Shearer warns Arsenal over signing forward

<p>Newcastle United legend, Alan Shearer, has suggested that Arsenal target and Aston Villa player Ollie Watkins is not a world-class number nine.</p>, <p>Arsenal have been linked with Watkins for close to a year, with Football Transfers recently claiming that Mikel Arteta’s side have initiated talks with the forward’s agent.</p>, <p>Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer said Watkins is not an elite player.</p>, <p>“I like him. He’s certainly very willing, always going to try and get in behind. But, I don’t think he’s a great finisher,” Shearer said.</p>, <p>“I think sometimes his technique lets him down but he’s always going to get you in between 10 and 20 goals in a season, which, for a Premier League club, that is exactly what you need and what you want.”</p>, <p>“I don’t think he is elite but I think he’s certainly in that next level down.”</p>, <p>Watkins joined Aston Villa from Brentford in a potential £33 million deal in the summer of 2020.</p>