Manchester United are set to intensify their pursuit of Ollie Watkins having abandoned their hopes of securing Sporting sensation Viktor Gyokeres. United had harboured some hope of enticing Gyokeres to Old Trafford due to his close ties with Ruben Amorim.
However, the English giants believe the Swedish striker has opted to join Arsenal this summer instead. With United still finding it difficult to negotiate a deal with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo, Amorim has set his sights on Watkins as he seeks to bolster his attacking arsenal.
The England and Aston Villa forward became discontented last season after falling behind Marcus Rashford, who was on loan, in the selection hierarchy.
Given that Villa failed to secure Champions League football last season, Watkins might be looking for a fresh challenge elsewhere. It is understood that United have initiated preliminary discussions with Villa regarding the 29-year-old.
Amorim is confident that Watkins' experience and goal-scoring prowess would make him a tremendous success at United.
However, it remains uncertain whether United can negotiate a deal with Villa for Watkins, who is valued at £60m. United would have been prepared to include Rashford as part of the deal, but Villa are not interested in a player who would cost them £40m and command high wages.
Another hurdle for United is the fact that Amorim's team will not be competing in Europe next season. Meanwhile, United need to offload players like Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Rashford to generate funds for new signings.