Monchi has spoken about Arsenal’s interest in Ollie Watkins at the start of the year and his decision to leave the club after the summer window closed.

Roberto Olabe replaced the 57-year-old with immediate effect, while Damian Vidagany remained in his role as Director of Football Operations.

Monchi held the position of President of Football Operations at Villa for just over two years and played a key role in the club’s progress under Unai Emery.

It was a particularly challenging summer window for Villa, which could have been even more difficult if they hadn’t raised substantial funds in the previous January window.

During that period, Villa sold Diego Carlos, Jadon Philogene, and Jhon Duran for nearly £100 million, with Duran moving to Al-Nassr.

At the time, Arsenal’s interest in Watkins complicated matters, but Villa were unwilling to sell their star striker for anything less than £60 million.

“There was real interest in Watkins from Arsenal in the January transfer window,” Monchi told Flashscore. “In this summer market there has been no formal offer.

“Let's see,...