Manchester United wants to acquire Ollie Watkins, but they won’t pay Aston Villa what the striker is worth. In January, Arsenal made many attempts to acquire the England international, but Villa resisted, demanding £60 million, which they would require for any transfer this summer.
Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Højlund’s difficulties from the previous season have left Ruben Amorim looking for a new striker. Another choice is Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig. At Old Trafford, Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea is no longer considered.
Aston Villa maintains that Watkins is not for sale and is in a strong position because his contract expires in 2028, so it would take a very big offer for them to entertain letting him go. A little over two weeks before the new season begins, it would also be challenging for the team to locate a successor. Watkins is worth between £40 million and £45 million to United, which is comparable to what Arsenal was attempting to give in January.
Man United to agree to discount Ollie Watkins deal
Rio Ferdinand, the former defender for United, is certain that Watkins is the ideal choice for his former team in their search for a new striker. In 38 Premier League appearances last season, the 29-year-old Englishman scored 16 goals and provided eight assists for Villa.
According to Ferdinand’s YouTube channel, “We need someone with experience that the other center forwards look at and say, ‘That’s a bit of me,’ without any doubts.” “Ollie Watkins, who has experience in the Premier League, participated in the Champions League the previous season, has been a reliable performer for some time, is an international, and plays for England.” He meets all of the requirements.
He’s 29 years old, so there is no sell-on value; the only goal is to make an instant difference over the next two or three years, which I believe Ollie Watkins can do well for the current center forwards. He would be fantastic now, too.
“On most days, the opposing defense would have a difficult time against that front three if you played Ollie Watkins, [Bryan] Mbeumo, and [Matheus] Cunha, and you can combine that with Amad, [Mason] Mount, or whoever.”
