Manchester United could spring a surprise swoop for Aston Villa and England star Ollie Watkins this summer, according to reports - with the two clubs holding preliminary talks over a potential deal that would take the former Brentford star to the north-west in the coming weeks.
Watkins, 29, was linked with a move to Arsenal in the latter stages of the January window but a move never materialised - though the emergence of Morgan Rogers has somewhat lessened his impact in the west Midlands. Although Watkins has three years left on his contract, United could make a move for the EURO 2024 hero to combat their striking woes after five superb years in the Premier League.
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Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins pointing
The report from The Athletic's United correspondent, Laurie Whitwell, states that Watkins is on United's list of potential centre-forward recruits in the event that Hojlund leaves the club.
There has been contact between United chiefs and Villa's top brass, via intermediaries, to explore the prospect of a deal as United weigh up several striker options to replace Rasmus Hojlund, who massively underperformed last season with just four Premier League goals to his name throughout the campaign.
Conversations between United and Villa over Marcus Rashford's future following his loan spell at Villa Park in the second half of the campaign, and those talks included the prospect of Watkins being part of any deal. There were discussions, despite Rashford's £40million release clause likely being less than any potential fee for Watkins - but Rashford's desire to join Barcelona has put an end to that swap deal being a reality.
The star is currently on £130,000-per-week at Villa, and he could be joined by current teammate Emiliano Martinez, who has also been linked with a move to join up with Amorim.
United's focus is on securing a deal for Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, before pushing for sales to free up funds - and once they are complete, their current assessment of the striker market could lead them to make a formal move to sign Watkins.
At this stage, only a 'check call' is the extent of the dialogue between the two teams, with Unai Emery looking to see who he could sell to bring in money over the summer - which may instead end up being Martinez. Villa feel that Watkins is still worth around £60million, though such a price would have to be massively considered by United due to a lack of resale value for Watkins.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 30-06-25.
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