The England international is viewed as an ideal fit for manager Ruben Amorim who is on the lookout for a striker this summer. United have also been linked with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko over the past few days but it seems like the Red Devils value Watkins much more highly.
United have already spent big on their growing attack this summer, splashing £62.5M on Matheus Cunha before Bryan Mbeumo arrived from Brentford for £65M plus £6M in add-ons. However, the club are not done there as they aim to replace Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee who have misfired since the joined the club.
According to The Telegraph however, Villa have told Manchester United that forward Watkins is not for sale and insist he is not for sale at any price even if transfer rumours surround the England international who scored 27 goals in all competitions last season and is under contract until 2028. Watkins joined Villa in a £33million transfer from Brentford in September 2020 and Villa would stand to make a huge profit on him which would therefore help their fight against financial restrictions.
However, with Wakins out of reach, United may have to switch their focus to the likes of Sesko who clearly are available for sale this summer. Leipzig lowered his price this week to around £60M which is a fair price for a young, world class striker in the modern market.