Manchester United desperately need a striker heading into the new campaign, and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is ready to heed the call.
Rasmus Hojlund was clearly not up to the task in the last campaign, scoring only four times in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim wants him gone, and for INEOS to bring in a quality replacement.
The club’s hunt for a ruthless finisher has been far from smooth, with Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen all slipping away from their grasp.
Forced to fish from within the B list of targets, not all the names are ready for the massive step-up. Moise Kean is not exactly Premier League-proven while signing free agents like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Callum Wilson would represent a sizeable risk.
Ollie Watkins interest
Which explains why the Red Devils are looking at Watkins. The Villa frontman has proven to be a revelation in the English top-flight, scoring in double digits in each of his Premier League seasons, with 15 or more coming in each of his last three campaigns.
His profile would suit the 20-time English league champions down to a T, but the only problem is Villa’s valuation. Unai Emery’s side will not let him leave for less than £60 million.
The good thing is the Englishman is “keen” to move to the Theatre of Dreams as per Givemesport. Now, INEOS just need to present a strong enough proposal.
“Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins would be open to joining Manchester United this summer if they made an offer for him, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.
Watkins keen on move
“One issue for Man Utd could be any potential asking price that Villa set, with Watkins being their clear first-choice striker currently at Villa Park following Jhon Duran’s sale during the January transfer window.
“While it’s currently unclear what their asking price is, it is known that Villa will demand in excess of £50m – but the final price could prove decisive on whether Man Utd choose to push ahead with a move.”
Villa want to keep hold of the England international, but with no Champions League football on offer, the 29-year-old could push to leave to join the biggest club in the world.
He has numerous suitors chasing his signature. His Premier League-proven status and sheer quality in front of goal makes him the perfect player for Amorim.
Hopefully, player sales can occur between now and the end of the window so INEOS can raise enough capital for a strong bid. Ollie Watkins is one of the best names available on the market and United simply cannot falter in their pursuit to strengthen Amorim’s hand.
Feature image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
