Manchester United are exploring a possible move for Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins.
Amid an ongoing pursuit of Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United are still looking to sign a centre-forward.
There are mixed messages over interest and availability of Viktor Gyokeres, and United need to have contingency plans in place.
One new name to emerge is Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, with Manchester United monitoring the striker’s situation, according to The Athletic.
Ollie Watkins celebrates scoring for Aston Villa
Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
Ollie Watkins has Roy Keane backing
Ollie Watkins is a player Manchester United are considering, with Aston Villa in a weak financial position due to PSR.
While not necessarily first choice, United are exploring the possibility of bringing Watkins on board, viewing him as a viable option.
Watkins is a player who already has the backing of Manchester United legend Roy Keane.
Keane is on record praising Watkins’ ability, even backing him to potentially thrive in the Manchester United team.
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Speaking in 2024, Keane told Sky Sports: “He could play for one of the top teams, couldn’t he?”
“Villa are a top team but you’re talking about bigger clubs in Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City. That’s a compliment to him, not that he has to leave Villa. But he’s capable of doing it.”
Speaking about his form in 2023/24, Keane added: “The kid is so sharp, he has a great shape to him. His movement is as good as any striker in the Premier League. He’s having an amazing season.”
Ollie Watkins data from Sofascore
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Ollie Watkins is proven option
Over the past two seasons Ollie Watkins has scored 44 goals and provided 27 assists, from 107 games for Aston Villa in all competitions.
Data from Sofascore breaks down how he averages 2.3 shots per game, starting 91 of these 107 games.
Ollie Watkins showed his ability to perform on the big stage by scoring the winning goal for England vs the Netherlands one year ago in the Euro 2024 semi-final.
More useful from a Manchester United perspective is that he is tried and tested in the Premier League.
Villa signed Watkins in summer 2020, and he has gone on to score 87 goals for the club, which include 75 goals in 184 Premier League games.
At 29-years-old, Watkins is a medium-term option who should be able to contribute immediately.