Manchester United has reached out to Aston Villa to ask about striker Ollie Watkins, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. This call happened in the last two to three days before July 1, 2025, to see if they could transfer the 29-year-old England player.
Watkins is on United’s list of possible centre-forwards, especially as a backup plan if their current striker, Rasmus Højlund, decides to leave the club due to interest from Inter Milan. The two clubs also talked about a possible swap deal that would involve Marcus Rashford, who was loaned to Aston Villa during the second half of the 2024-25 season, but they couldn’t come to an agreement since Rashford reportedly wants to move to Barcelona.
Watkins has three years left on his contract with Villa, which lasts until 2028, and he is valued at about £60 million after Arsenal’s bid of £40-50 million was turned down in January 2025. With an impressive record of 75 Premier League goals in 184 games for Villa, including 17 goals and 14 assists in 54 games last season, he is a great option for United’s manager, Rúben Amorim, who wants to improve the team’s attack after a disappointing 44-goal Premier League season in 2024-25.
However, United’s interest in Watkins is not very advanced right now, as they are focusing on getting Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. Any move for Watkins would probably depend on whether Højlund leaves and if they can sell other players to manage their finances.
