According to the British press, MU seriously considered recruiting striker Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa in the case of breaking up Rasmus Hojlund this summer. If Watkins appeared at Old Trafford, the Red Devils could be more secure about scoring.
Rasmus Hojlund has not yet met the expectations since joining Man United from Atalanta for a fee of 72 million pounds in 2023. Last season, the Danish striker only scored 4 goals in the Premier League, the figure was too modest compared to the potential and the price that the Red Devils spent. If Hojlund took advantage of opportunities, he could have more than that number and the club would not have too much trouble.
Hojlund recently confirmed that he wanted to stay at Old Trafford and said he still had a contract until 2028. However, whether Hojlund whether to stay or not depends on many factors, including the calculation of coach Ruben Amorim.
According to The Athletic, in the case of Hojlund left, MU soon prepared a list of alternatives and the prominent name among them is Ollie Watkins.
The 29 -year -old is the main striker of Aston Villa and has contributed 16 goals and 8 assists in the Premier League season 2024/25. Calculated, he had 75 goals after 184 matches for the Midlands team. The contract between Watkins and the Villa Park team is still valid until 2028.
MU currently approaches the representative of Watkins to find out the transfer ability. The top of the Old Trafford believes that Watkins is an ideal solution to solve the Premier League scoring problem.
Earlier, in the loan contract of Marcus Rashford to the Villa Park in the second half of the last season, the two clubs installed the £ 40 million purchase terms. But up to now, Rashford has to return to Old Trafford because Villa has not budget to buy people.
Now MU can use Rashford to convince Villa to release Watkins. This is a deal that is beneficial for both parties but capable, the Red Devils have to pay a little more money to the partner in this deal.
On the Aston Villa side, selling Watkins can help them improve the financial situation to meet the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations (PSR), although the selling affair is temporarily helping them balance the budget.
Earlier, Arsenal asked to buy Watkins earlier this year but was not willing to spend 60 million pounds at the request of Aston Villa. The reason is because the price is too high and Watkins is nearly 30 years old. Investing in a player with such a high fee is reckless and adventurous.
Although it also needs a new center like MU, the Gunners have their own choice when targeting one of the strikers Benjamin Sesko (Leipzig) and Victor Gyokeres (Sporting Lisbon).