Manchester United have made contact with Aston Villa over a potential deal for Ollie Watkins, according to The Athletic.
The Red Devils are in the market for a new striker this summer, but they have so far found it difficult to home in on a specific top target. Man Utd were initially desperate to sign Liam Delap due to his affordable €35 million price, but he ultimately opted to join Chelsea.
At present, Man Utd are trying to finalise the signing of Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, but it is unlikely that he is joining to be the club’s new No.9. The same applies to Matheus Cunha, who has already arrived from Wolves.
This means that Man Utd are still scouring the market for potential opportunities, and The Athletic now reports that Ollie Watkins has been added to the club’s shortlist of targets.
Indeed, the outlet states that there have already been talks with Aston Villa via intermediaries to explore the feasibility of a move for the England international.
Man Utd want Watkins
The report states that a deal was already explored when Man Utd and Villa held talks over the future of Marcus Rashford after his successful six-month loan at Villa Park. However, Rashford’s lack of interest in a permanent move to Villa meant that these initial discussions led to nothing.
Villa, it is claimed, could be open to a sale of their star striker due to their worrying financial situation, but so far, Man Utd’s interest is only at an early stage. It is also not guaranteed that the Red Devils will be able to bring in a new centre-forward.
Given the hefty outlay on Cunha (€74 million) and Mbeumo (€70m-€80m), Man Utd will have to raise funds via sales before they can bring in a striker. Should they fail to complete the sufficient outgoings, they will have to go into the season without a new No.9.
Rasmus Hojlund is the main candidate to make way for a new striker, but talks with Inter over a potential move have slowed down over the past week or so as the Serie A side would prefer an initial loan. The Dane himself has also publicly vowed to fight for his place, complicating an exit.
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