Manchester United want to sign a striker in the summer transfer window and Ollie Watkins has emerged as a target after Viktor Gyokeres decided that he wants to join Arsenal instead of the Red Devils
Manchester United are stepping up their interest in Aston Villa and England striker Ollie Watkins. United had hoped to land Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres, who played under Old Trafford boss Ruben Amorim in Portugal.
But United are convinced Gyokeres has decided to join Arsenal ahead of them and have therefore switched their attention to 29-year-old Watkins. United are still struggling to strike a deal with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo and have decided to make a concerted effort to land Watkins.
Watkins became unsettled last season after falling behind on-loan United striker Marcus Rashford in the second half of the campaign. With Villa having missed out on Champions League football on the final day of last season, losing 2-0 at United, Watkins is said to be open to a new challenge elsewhere.
It is understood United have held tentative talks with Villa about signing Watkins, who Amorim sees as the ideal player to lead his attack – given his proven goal scoring prowess. Villa would want around £60million for Watkins, who has three years left on his contract, but United are unwilling to pay that much, given his age and lack of resale value.
United were willing to offer Rashford as part of a swap deal involving Watkins, but Villa decided against signing the 27-year-old for £40m once his loan deal was up. One obstacle to United’s pursuit of Watkins is their inability to offer European football, following their 1-0 Europa League final defeat to Tottenham in May.
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United also need to off-load the likes of Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony to raise money to fund new signings. Watkins signed a new long-term contract with Villa in October 2023, keeping him at the club until 2028.
But the England international wasn’t a guaranteed starter last season, competing with Jhon Duran and later Rashford. Villa boss Unai Emery, however, is a big fan of Watkins.
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“He’s amazing,” Emery told TNT Sports in March. “Because he’s a really hard worker and his commitment to work every day is amazing. When he is scoring goals, it’s the main objective he can have. Where he is assisting as well, he’s contributing to help the team.
“But even when he’s not doing both, he’s working for the team. Defensively, the commitment was always high. He is in the press to the opponent. His commitment and behaviour is always a very good example for others. His power is his mind. His mentality is the best quality he has.”
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