Ruben Amorim wants to sign a striker this summerplaceholder image
Ruben Amorim wants to sign a striker this summer | Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United are in need of attacking reinforcements following a disappointing 2024/25 Premier League season.
Gyokeres is edging closer to a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal, with recent reports in Portugal claiming he has had ‘no intention’ of returning to Sporting CP for training, unless he has a ‘last minute change of heart’ on a move to England (via Standard).
United have other options on their radar but few are going to come without big money involved. In fact, the Red Devils could be looking at a £100 million investment to bring Ollie Watkins to Old Trafford for the upcoming season.
Man United will need to pay £100m for Ollie Watkins
Watkins is a player admired by many right now and United are among the clubs interested in snapping him up this summer. After a dismal finish in the Premier League, Amorim and co are prioritising the signing of a prolific number nine, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee both falling short of the mark. Signing someone confident in the Premier League like Watkins could completely revamp United’s way of attack.
Naturally, proven goal-scorers are not going to come cheap in today’s transfer market. Watkins, who tallied 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last season, turns 30 this year but is still an in-demand transfer target, especially among Premier League clubs.
Alongside United, Liverpool and Newcastle have also been linked with the England international. The latter are the latest to enter the race for Watkins’ signature, which will cost them — plus United and any other club who are considering an offer — a hefty £100 million in total.
That’s according to finance expert Stefan Borson, who claims any interested clubs will need to offer £50 million to Villa, plus a £50 million contract.
Discussing Newcastle’s current situation, Borson told Football Insider: “I think we can see that Newcastle have got a kind of £125-150 million budget before selling.
“Watkins is a player you can think about buying, but we talked previously about how much he would cost overall and his age.
“It’s a £100 million deal basically. It’s a £50 million fee and it’s a £50 million contract, there or there about. That’s the entry price. You want to buy a proven striker, it’s a £100 million commitment.”
Will Ollie Watkins leave Aston Villa?
As things currently stand, Watkins’ future is a grey area and is being heavily discussed by both fans and the media. Whether he leaves Villa Park this summer remains to be seen but reporter Graeme Bailey believes Emery’s side could have some tricks up their sleeve to further enhance their attacking line, describing them as ‘ones to watch in the striker market’.
“So I think Watkins’ future is really one to keep an eye on this summer — do they think they can find an upgrade? It’ll be fascinating to see what Villa do. I could see them doing something very big up front,” Bailey told TBR Football.
“So let’s keep an eye out, I do get this feeling that Villa are going to do something huge that we don’t have a clue about right now, they’re a club at the moment for me who could definitely spring that surprise.”
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