Exclusive: Former Man United midfielder Paul Ince has explained why he would like to see the club try and sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.
Ollie Watkins celebrates with his Aston Villa teammates.
Paul Ince wants Manchester United to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.
(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images.)
Former midfielder Paul Ince would like to see Manchester United turn to Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins in their search for a striker.
United are desperate to recruit a centre-forward this summer and are currently exploring alternative avenues after missing out on Liam Delap, who joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town earlier this month for £30million.
United continue to be linked with the likes of Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres and Napoli's Victor Osimhen, both of who have established themselves as two of the best strikers in Europe, but they are yet to make an official approach for a centre-forward.
It is no secret United will almost certainly have to rely on sales to fund the addition of a No.9, meaning it remains to be seen who they will be able to turn to.
However, if it is possible, Ince, who was speaking ahead of the Manchester #RifeDontMiss Challenge, which is offering the public the opportunity to win £50,000 and break the world record for the longest putt at American Golf Trafford at the beginning of next month, would like to see United swoop for Watkins, who scored 16 Premier League goals last season.
"Ollie Watkins, without a doubt," Ince told the Manchester Evening News when asked which striker he would like United to try and sign. "He is proven, he scores goals, he has got all the attributes, he is quick, he can run in behind and he can attain the ball.
"He has got all of the attributes that you want to go to Manchester United. I am not saying that is going to be the case, but if you look at last season when [Marcus] Rashford went to Villa Park, Watkins got his nose put of joint and didn't really play much.
"There might be something where if he was available, I'd be looking at him for sure. I think Gyokeres has done well in Portugal, and you have got to remember that he scored a lot of goals at Coventry before he went there."
Watkins, 29, joined Villa from Brentford in 2020, has scored 50 Premier League goals since the start of the 2022/23 season, establishing himself as one of the division's most reliable goalscorers.
A golf ball is placed down in front of a club.
The RIFE Don't Miss Challenge will take place in Manchester on July 4.
(Image: RIFE Don’t Miss Challenge.)
United, however, have been unable to rely on a reliable striker in recent seasons. They turned to Rasmus Hojlund in August 2023, signing him from Atalanta, but he has struggled to deliver the goods.
Ince, though, has sympathised with the Dane, highlighting how he arrived at Old Trafford as a 20-year-old and was immediately tasked with spearheading United's attack.
"I honestly think Hojlund is one of those where he is still young and he needs someone who can come in and take the weight off his shoulders," Ince added.
"I think he is better as a second striker who might come on later on in a game. When you are asking a young lad to deal with the pressures of Man United, at Old Trafford, at such a young age and to have to keep scoring goals, it puts a lot of pressure on him.
"I think someone like Watkins would take the pressure off him. Maybe they should send Hojlund out on loan for a year and let him score some goals, come back and be confident."
Paul Ince spoke ahead of the Manchester #RifeDontMiss Challenge, celebrating the launch of the new RIFE Black Edition putters. To register for the final qualifier and be in with a chance of winning £50,000, sign up here.