£60m striker ready to ‘join’ as Ruben Amorim gets involved

Manchester United have received a huge boost in their quest to sign Ollie Watkins, with a report revealing the Aston Villa striker’s stance on a potential move to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window, as a former Old Trafford star gives his verdict on why manager Ruben Amorim should get the Englishman.

While Man Utd have already signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves and are in active talks with Brentford over Bryan Mbeumo, Amorim is determined to sign a new striker this summer. The Man Utd manager realised last season that neither Rasmus Hojlund nor Joshua Zirkzee is good enough or prolific enough to get the club back to their glory days in the Premier League.

Man Utd have been actively trying to sign a striker all summer, with Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres two of their main targets.

While Delap joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town, Gyokeres is on his way to Arsenal despite having worked with Amorim at Sporting CP.

Man Utd have already turned down the chance to sign Jhon Duran, while Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic favours a move to AC Milan despite interest from the Red Devils, according to The Sun.

With Man Utd in desperate need of a new striker and struggling to make a deal for one, GiveMeSport has reported that Villa star Watkins is ready to make the move to Old Trafford.

According to the headline in the report, Watkins is ‘keen to join Man Utd this summer’.

The report itself has noted that Watkins ‘would be open to joining Manchester United this summer if they made an offer for him’.

Man Utd are reportedly to have held talks with Villa, with Watkins now ‘a target for INEOS and Amorim’.

GiveMeSport’s report about Watkins’s stance on a move to Man Utd follows The Athletic journalist David Ornstein’s report earlier this month that the Red Devils have already held talks with the Villa striker’s camp.

According to GiveMeSport, Villa want more than £50million for Watkins, while two other sources, including The Mirror, have revealed the specific amount to be £60m.

TalkSPORT journalist Dan Bardell said on July 9: “I think the way football is and the way things are for Villa with the PSR and the SCR, every player does have a price. If someone came in with around £60million, I think that would probably be the mark for Ollie Watkins.

“Villa would obviously consider that and take that deal on its merits, but they’re not actively looking to sell anyone. They don’t want to sell their big players.”

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Ollie Watkins backed to be a Man Utd success

While it remains to be seen if Man Utd eventually make a bid for Watkins this summer, a former Old Trafford star has already backed the striker to star under Amorim.

Earlier this month, when asked if Watkins would be a good signing for Man Utd, Paul Parker said: “I’d have to say yes.

“He’s honest, he’s a workaholic, and I’ve found it strange how players are playing in front of him at Aston Villa.

“I’m a fan of Ollie Watkins, people will talk about his age, but he’s someone who is willing to run the line, someone who will try and turn bad into a good and can score goals.

“He’s very strong in the air as well and he can lead the line, which is a massive plus for Man Utd because they never had that last season – a blind man would have done better.”

Former Man Utd and Villa striker Dwight Yorke is also a big fan of Watkins.

Yorke told FourFourTwo in September 2024: “I see a lot of myself in Ollie Watkins. He’s a creator, a dribbler and a finisher, a bit like I was back in the day.

“You saw from his number of goals and assists last term that he has a little bit of everything. His work ethic is also admirable. He’s a top, top player.

“You don’t get to that level, scoring that many goals and contributing creatively, unless you’re a fantastic footballer.

“It took him a little while to reach those levels, but now he is established.

“He’s one of those players you can pick again and again, every week, because his level is always high and he has shown that he can be trusted consistently. That’s what the top players do.”

Latest Man Utd news: Chelsea swap deal, £33m bid ready

Man Utd and Chelsea have been tipped to make a £100million swap deal in the summer transfer window, with such an agreement set to benefit all parties concerned.

A report has revealed how Man Utd are facing a huge loss in their quest to offload an attacking player that Amorim does not have in his plans for next season.

Man Utd are ready to pay £33million for a world-class player, who himself wants to move to Old Trafford, but his club want £7million more.

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