Liverpool are reportedly looking to hijack a potential deal that would see Ollie Watkins sign for Manchester United, which could earn Rúben Amorim £40 million.
Manchester United’s lack of a consistent goal scorer continues to be a major weakness as they prepare for the summer ahead.
Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes have been the club’s only dependable attacking outlets in recent years, with Rashford hitting 30 goals in the 2022/23 season
But with Rashford expected to leave following his loan at Aston Villa, and Fernandes now playing deeper under Rúben Amorim, United’s attacking threat looks increasingly uncertain.
Rasmus Højlund has shown promise but remains raw and inconsistent, while Joshua Zirkzee seems better suited to playing off a traditional striker rather than leading the line himself.
With the transfer window approaching, United are already assessing their options, and there have been links between United and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins since the club initiated their interest in 2023.
United linked with Rashford-Watkins swap
With United looking to sell Rashford this summer, it has been reported that they are set to propose a swap deal involving the United Academy graduate and Watkins.
With Villa currently holding an option to purchase Rashford this summer for £40 million once his loan at Villa Park expires, United are looking to try and leverage this agreement to sign the English striker this summer.
According to the above report, United wants to propose a deal to Villa that would see them sign Rashford for £40 million this summer as part of a player-plus-cash swap, with Watkins heading the other way for a discounted price.
Watkins could prove a very useful asset as a proven Premier League goalscorer with 74 goals and 33 assists in 179 appearances in the competition.
At 29 years of age, he would also bring much-needed experience to Old Trafford at a time when United’s youthful front line is lacking in confidence.
Liverpool looking to hijack Watkins swap
However, a fresh report from FootballInsider has stated that United’s pursuit of Watkins could be halted with the player touted for a move to Liverpool this summer.
It is claimed that, with Watkins currently at his peak price, Villa are looking to sell the player this summer in order to raise funds ahead of what they hope will be another season playing Champions League football amid the race to finish in the top five this season.
Liverpool reportedly want to hijack any other transfer Watkins may be involved in and make sure he is brought in for Arne Slot’s second season at the club.
However, another reason for wanting to sell Watkins is that Villa see it as a way of raising the cash to bring in Rashford permanently, as Watkins’ sale would allow them to activate the £40 million needed.
Therefore, while United would miss out on Watkins should he sign for Liveprool, they would still be able to raise a valuable £40 million for Amorim to explore options elsewhere this summer.
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