Manchester United have resurrected their interest in Ollie Watkins, two years after then manager Erik ten Hag put an end to a pursuit of the Aston Villa striker
Manchester United have resurrected their interest in Ollie Watkins, two years after Erik ten Hag put an end to a pursuit of the Aston Villa star. Watkins has become a reliable goalscorer for Villa, netting 86 goals since arriving in 2020.
He scored one and provided the assist for another as Villa smashed top five rivals Newcastle on Saturday. Following the game, Watkins aired his frustrations at boss Unai Emery for playing him for just 20 minutes across the two legs of the Champions League defeat to PSG.
While there are still three years remaining on his contract, doubts over his future in the Midlands have started to emerge. As a proven regular scorer in the top-flight, Watkins is a rare breed in modern football.
Several teams are expected to target a new striker in thos summer’s transfer window. One of them will be United, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee both failing to live up to expectations.
Hojlund was bought for £72million in the summer of 2023, but he has netted just 13 Premier League goals in that time. Watkins by contrast has netted 34 times in the same period.
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Had things gone differently, Watkins may well have been leading the line for the Red Devils instead of the struggling Dane. According to ESPN, Watkins was put under ‘serious consideration’ by United chiefs two years ago.
But Ten Hag decided that Hojlund, seven years’ Watkins junior, represented better value for money for the long-term. That decision is now acknowledged as being one in a string of massive recruitment mistakes.
So much so that current United boss Ruben Amorim is sizing up a move for the England international. According to the Daily Star, Amorim is ready to offer Villa the permanent signing of Marcus Rashford in a swap deal.
Villa have a £40million option to buy the attacker permanently this summer. The 27-year-old has impressed on loan under Emery and was selected to start over Watkins for both legs against PSG.
Watkins was the subject of a £60m bid from Arsenal in the January transfer window but Villa held firm. With the summer approaching, United are ready to test Villa’s resolve, with the offer of Rashford plus a significant cash payment in exchange for Watkins.
Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is thought to be Amorim’s No.1 target but the Red Devils will face competition from across the Premier League and may need to pivot. After starring in the hammering of Newcastle, Watkins revealed his current unhappiness.
“Champions League, we’ve put in a lot of hard graft in the last few years to get to that position. I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games, so I’m not going to lie – I was fuming I wasn’t playing,” he told Sky Sports.
“I let him (Emery) know that. He’s the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision. But I’m not one of the players happy to sit on the bench. It’s something I haven’t experienced before and then to miss out on the biggest stage.
“You always want to play, especially in the Champions League. The team played really well but I wanted to be out on the pitch much longer. I wanted to be starting in the important games because I’ve played a big part to get to where we are today.”
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