According to reports, Manchester United have decided to ‘turn to’ a new striker target, but this potential deal hinges on one ‘pivotal’ factor.
So far this summer, Man Utd have only made one summer signing as they have invested around £62.5m to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
The Red Devils have made it their priority to overhaul their attack at the start of this summer as they were toothless in forward positions last season.
The addition of Cunha was a good start, but Ruben Amorim‘s side still has loads to do this summer, as they target Bryan Mbeumo and a new striker.
Earlier this summer, United made Liam Delap their main striker target. However, they missed out on the former Man City star, who decided to join Premier League rivals Chelsea after they earned a spot in next season’s Champions League.
This has left the Red Devils scouring the market for alternatives, with Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen and Hugo Ekitike mooted as potential targets.
Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, who is valued at £34.5m on transfermarkt, is another option, with a report from Football Insider‘s Pete O’Rourke claiming they have ‘turned their attention to’ the England international.
Watkins has emerged as one of the best strikers in the Premier League and he grabbed 31 goal involvements in 54 appearances in all competitions in 2024/25.
Despite this, recent reports have suggested that the Villans are open to letting Watkins leave this summer as they look to avoid a breach of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules.
This transfer is far from guaranteed, though. This is because the deal ‘hinges’ on one ‘pivotal’ factor, with Rasmus Hojlund’s future needing to be settled before Man Utd can move for Watkins.
“If Man United are looking at a good centre-forward to come in and improve their squad, Ollie Watkins would tick a lot of boxes,” O’Rourke told Football Insider.
“Rasmus Hojlund… a lot will depend on what happens with him, because United probably can’t afford to go out and buy Watkins on top of Mbuemo and Cunha.
“They will probably need to offload a couple of players to allow them the sort of wriggle room they’ll need, with FFP and PSR, to afford a deal for Watkins. I can see them moving for Watkins once they accept a Hojlund bid.”
Hojlund’s form has fallen off a cliff over the past year and he is being heavily linked with a return to Serie A, though it has also been suggested that they could cash in on Joshua Zirkzee instead.