Manchester United are desperate to become strong challengers for the Premier League title once again after years of mediocre campaigns, and Paul Ince believes signing Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins this summer could be a good place to start.
The Red Devils watched Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund fail to impress in front of goal in 2024-25, with seven Premier League goals between them all season, and head coach Ruben Amorim wants to address the situation.
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha is expected to complete a £63 million move to Man United next month after a solid individual campaign which yielded 15 league goals and six assists, but Ince insists his old club need more attacking firepower and has urged them to sign Watkins.
“If you picked your best 11 players from the Premier League, you wouldn’t have one United player in there,” the former Man United midfielder told the Telegraph.
“And you probably could have said that in the last six or seven years. How can Liverpool go and sign the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, and Arsenal get Declan Rice?
“Why haven’t United been in the market for them? Are they looking in the right places? I don’t think they are right now, so it’s a big summer for everyone involved at the club, that’s for sure.
“They badly need more firepower and I’m looking at someone like Ollie Watkins – a striker who can actually score goals – as a player United need to be going for.”
The Villa striker bagged 17 goals and 14 assists in 54 appearances this term having ended 2023-24 with 27 goals and 15 assists, and he has been consistent for the last five seasons in the Premier League.
Watkins will be a decent signing for Man United, but he is a short-term option given that he will be 30 by December, and Amorim will be looking for a young striker who can serve the club for at least five years.
Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap would have been a great signing for the Red Devils, but the 22-year-old has opted to move to Chelsea after the Old Trafford club failed to secure European football for next season, and they now have to continue their search for a number 9.