Manchester United have been linked with a move for the Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins ahead of the summer transfer window.
Former Liverpool and Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince has now urged the Red Devils to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.
Aston Villa paid £33 million for the England international striker when they signed him, and he has been outstanding for them. Watkins has established himself as one of the best strikers in the Premier League, and there is no doubt that he would improve Manchester United.
“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.”
It is no secret that Manchester United need a reliable goal scorer. Players like Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have been quite underwhelming, and the Red Devils need an upgrade on them.
Watkins could improve them immensely, and he could make an instant impact. He is well settled in the Premier League, and he will look to hit the ground running at Old Trafford if he joins the club.
However, convincing Aston Villa to sell the striker will not be easy. They will demand a premium for him. He is an indispensable asset for them.
Aston Villa have put together an ambitious squad, and they have a quality manager at their disposal. They will be hoping to fight for trophies, and they will not want to sell their best players. Manchester United will probably have to submit a substantial offer in order to tempt them.
It remains to be seen how the situation develops.
Convincing the player will be a challenge as well. Even though they are one of the biggest clubs in the world, they finished in the bottom half this past season, and they will not be able to offer him European football for the next season.
Watkins might feel that Aston Villa are in a better position right now to compete for trophies, and he could decide to continue with them. It remains to be seen how the situation unfolds.