Aston Villa and Manchester United have spoken about a dramatic swap deal worth over £50 million.
The summer transfer window is now well underway and Aston Villa are cracking on with their business.
Yasin Ozcan and Zepiqueno Redmond have been announced as the Villans’ first signings after the duo signed pre-contract agreements, while several sales are expected in the coming weeks to help comply with UEFA’s squad cost rules (SCR). Thanks to an agreed sale of the women’s team, the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) are no longer a concern.
One of Villa’s first major decisions of the window was surrounding Marcus Rashford, who they had the choice to sign permanently from Manchester United for £40 million after a loan spell. Villa have publicly announced that they have decided against activating that clause, though there could still be a way of Rashford joining for the long term, with a mega swap deal potentially on the cards.
Aston Villa and Man Utd have already proposed swap deal
Aston Villa and Manchester United have discussed swapping Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashfordplaceholder image
Aston Villa and Manchester United have discussed swapping Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford | Getty Images
According to a recent report from The Athletic, Man Utd are interested in signing Ollie Watkins from Villa this summer. United executives have already proposed the idea of bringing him to Old Trafford, too, bringing it up in a conversation with Villa about Rashford’s future.
Later on in the same report, it’s been mentioned that Rashford favours a move abroad - potentially to Barcelona - but staying in England hasn’t been ruled out. Rashford is said to be open to leaving United on loan again or as part of a swap deal.
Put two and two together, and that means the idea of exchanging Watkins and Rashford has already been proposed. Now, it’s worth making it clear that it seems very unlikely at this moment that any said deal could go through, but the idea has at least been floated. That in itself is significant.
Who would benefit most from Watkins and Rashford swap deal?
Those keeping a close eye on Villa during the second half of last season will have been able to draw direct comparisons between Watkins and Rashford. Unai Emery originally saw Rashford as a left winger who could cut inside, but his thinking changed when he eventually opted to field the United attacker as a centre-forward.
That meant, for a string of several matches, that Watkins was benched and had to play second fiddle to Rashford. Villa’s number 11 complained publicly about his lack of game time when it came to crunch moments in the Champions League and Premier League, but Rashford’s run of three goals and four assists in eight starts warranted a starting place.
When Rashford then injured his hamstring and was sidelined for the rest of the season, Watkins immediately led the line for Villa again. There was a little less direct running in behind as a result, but Watkins’ effective hold-up play returned, giving Villa’s attack a different feel once again.
Even when seeing both players at Villa together, it was tricky to decide who was genuinely better. There’s no doubt Man Utd would rather have Watkins as Ruben Amorim has ousted Rashford from his plans, but it’s difficult to figure out if Villa would think the same way. It’s unlikely the deal will go through anyhow, but it certainly gives food for thought.
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