Manchester United have held fresh talks over a move for Ollie Watkins, but will only advance if Aston Villa are prepared to reduce the asking price.
According to Ben Jacobs, Manchester United have held fresh talks over a potential move for Ollie Watkins. The England international could be on the verge of making the switch to a new club and take on a fresh challenge, but the Red Devils will only advance on the move if Aston Villa reduces their £60 million asking price.
Manchester United are still very much active in their quest to land a new striker this summer. The Red Devils have already suffered setbacks with their earlier pursuits of Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres, as Ruben Amorim wants a prolific and dependable presence in the No.9 role.
Amorim is unhappy with his current options in Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, as the former is widely expected to depart if a new player arrives in the role. Manchester United are deliberating between Nicolas Jackson and Ollie Watkins, although Benjamin Sesko was also considered as a realistic option.
On the Watkins chase, Manchester United appear to be serious about their interest, and they have held fresh talks over a move. Whether that is with the striker’s camp or with Aston Villa remains the question, as they might plan on moving to find out more details.
Among the information they have, it appears Aston Villa wants £60 million for the striker, something Manchester United are not prepared to pay at this moment. The Red Devils are open to advancing in the chase if the Birmingham-based side are willing to reduce the asking price for the £60 million-rated striker, with Unai Emery’s side are already looking out for replacement options in the market.
Ollie Watkins might seek a fresh challenge
Aston Villa are still operating with a sense of caution in this window, as the wider expectation earlier was for one of their high-profile stars to depart. Watkins might be that player, and earlier reports indicated that the striker might be open to joining Manchester United when the early links emerged.
The £60 million-rated Aston Villa star’s price point might be an issue for the Red Devils, although he does have other suitors like Newcastle United. There’s a strong possibility for the striker to depart in this window, as Manchester United appear to be lying in wait for some developments around his future.