Ollie Watkins, Ruben Amorim
(Credit: Imago)
Villa News Speaking to Bryan King
Sat 5 July 2025 7:40, UK
Ollie Watkins could leave Aston Villa this summer as Unai Emery reshapes his squad.
Arsenal had a late bid for Watkins rejected in last season’s winter transfer window following the sale of Jhon Duran.
The England striker, who featured in every Premier League game last campaign, has been an ever-present at Villa since signing from Brentford in September 2020, finishing as the Claret and Blues’ top scorer for the previous five years.
However, PSR issues have put Watkins at risk of being sold this summer, with another Premier League rival mooted as a potential destination for the 29-year-old.
Ollie 1Watkins Aston Villa
Watkins has finished as Villa’s top scorer for five years on the bounce (Credit: Imago)
Watkins on Manchester United’s shortlist
As reported by The Athletic (30 June), Watkins is on Manchester United’s shortlist this summer, should Rasmus Højlund depart.
There has been contact between United and Villa, who announced that they would not keep Marcus Rashford at Villa Park, about a potential deal.
Player Appearances Goals Assists
Watkins 223 87 42
Watkins’ statistics for Villa
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Villa want around £60million, which United aren’t willing to pay, while the Red Devils were willing to offer Rashford as part of a swap deal [The Mirror].
Ex-Villa scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – believes that Watkins would be very interested in a move to United, but that the situation with Rashford complicates things.
“I’m sure Watkins would be very interested,” King said.
“However, would Rashford want to go back to Villa? How would they set a deal up if Rashford wants to go to Barcelona, for example?
“That leaves Villa in a difficult position after they helped Rashford get his career back on track.”
Marcus 1Rashford
Rashford has returned to United following his loan spell at Villa (Credit: Imago)
Watkins’ sale is too risky for Unai Emery
It is often said that the hardest thing in football is to score goals, and Watkins is a master of that art.
The striker has been prolific for the West Midlands club and also offers tremendous upside in other aspects of the game, including making intelligent runs and offering excellent link-up with other players.
While Villa could extract high value from a sale, given Watkins has three years left on his contract, it would be far too significant a risk for Unai Emery to take.
The Spaniard is already low on options in that position, and it would be near-impossible to find a like-for-like replacement for Watkins, especially one who can bring the same level of consistency.
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