Manchester United learn Aston Villa's asking price for Ollie Watkins amid recent transfer links: Reports

Manchester United have reportedly been informed about Ollie Watkins' asking price. As per the Daily Mirror, Aston Villa would demand around £60 million for Watkins in the current transfer window.

The Red Devils have been linked with a good number of strikers in the transfer market this summer. However, the price of a number of their targets might have contributed to their failure to sign a striker so far.

Caught Offside had recently claimed that Sporting CP are unwilling to reduce their €80 million valuation for Viktor Gyökeres, one of United's targets. The aforementioned report also claims United are unwilling to come to terms with Watkins' asking price due to his age and predicted resale value.

A viable option for Watkins would have been a swap deal involving Marcus Rashford. However, Daily Mirror reported that Villa turned down the option of signing him at the expiration of his loan deal last season.

While it's expected that negotiations would continue, Watkins could be a key signing for Ruben Amorim, who's in need of an alternative striker. As a No.9, Watkins also has the potential to create chances are deliver assists. This versatility makes him different from several strikers linked with a move to Old Trafford.

This makes him a signing that Manchester United would want to consider despite their reservation. Last season, Watkins delivered double-digit goal contributions in 54 outings across competitions for Villa (17 goals and 14 assists).

"It was one of the biggest mistakes" - Benni McCarthy on Manchester United's sale of Scott McTominay

Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao - Pre-season Friendly - Source: Getty

Former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy has claimed the Red Devils made a big mistake by offloading Scott McTominay. He added that the Scottish midfielder was born to represent the Red Devils.

In a recent interview, Benni McCarthy said (via The United Stand on X):

"It was one of the biggest mistakes in football to let him leave. He was born to play for United. Maybe he wasn’t the most technical, but he had fight, and I think it’s what they will get back with Matheus Cunha."

United sold McTominay to Napoli for a reported €30.50 million last summer. In his first year at Naples, he won the Scudetto, registering 13 goals and four assists in 40 outings.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Aditya Singh