Manchester United 'reopen talks' to sign striker from Premier League rivals
Manchester United have reopened talks to sign a striker from their Premier League rivals.
The Red Devils are back in contact with Aston Villa over a deal for Ollie Watkins, according to TalkSport.
Watkins, 29, is high on Man United’s shortlist but any deal is likely to hinge on player sales. Villa value the England international at £60m and have also shown interest in United winger Alejandro Garnacho.
Watkins has scored 50 Premier League goals over the past three seasons and was briefly linked with a surprise switch to Arsenal in January.
Man United boss Ruben Amorim has already spent over £125m this summer, bringing in Matheus Cunha from Wolves and finally landing Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.
But the club remains desperate for a reliable centre-forward after a brutal 2024/25 campaign that saw them finish 15th, with goalscoring being the key issue for Amorim’s squad.
Current strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee managed just four and three league goals, respectively.
TalkSport also claimed that Amorim is more willing to offload Hojlund, while he wants to give Zirkzee another season.
Marcus Rashford has already left on loan to Barcelona, freeing up wages and a place in the squad.