Ollie Watkins is reportedly being chased by Manchester United at the moment. With the future of Rasmus Hojlund grossly uncertain with the club, the position of the No. 9 might be vacant, come next season.
Watkins has played quite well for Aston Villa for the last five seasons and earned himself a call-up to the English national team in the process. Watkins now has played in 18 international matches for the Three Lions and scored five goals.
Ollie Watkins to Manchester United: Will it be suitable for either?
Watkins is approaching 30 and maybe has a few seasons left at the top. He has played in 223 matches for Aston Villa and scored 87 goals, which is roughly an average of a goal in every 2.5 matches. While that is definitely not top-class, it makes for favorable comparison if one tallies with Hojlund’s return of 26 goals in 95 matches for the Red Devils.
Watkins certainly fades in comparison with the great Manchester United strikers of the past like Eric Cantona, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Even if one looks at the past decade or so, when United’s fortunes have plummeted seriously, the strikers signed during that period like Romelu Lukaku and Edinson Cavani had better profiles than Watkins.
Still, aside from Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland and Patrick Mbeumo, who United are probably going to sign surely, there is not a No. 9 in Premier League, who is better than Watkins right now. It is evident from the fact that he has earned an England call-up in the recent past. Manchester United finished in the 15th position last season, which is quite atrocious by their lofty standards.
Hence, it is probably time for the Red Devils supporters to be realistic, as other most sought-after strikers like Isak, Victor Osimhen or even England’s own Harry Kane will simply not consider Old Trafford as a preferable destination at the moment.
The Aston Villa striker’s contract runs until 2028
Watkins signed a new five-year contract with Aston Villa in 2023, which means that it will run until 2028. However, as of now, it seems that he might not see it through. With Manchester United being serious in his pursuit, Watkins will have a great opportunity to jump ship and realize the dream of playing for an elite club.
However, he will also have in mind that Villa will be playing in Europa League next season and played in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal last season. At the moment, Aston Villa have a better performance graph and, if one might add, a better manager than United.
Hence, the point of contention for him will be whether to for a big name in Manchester United or focus more on recent track-record and stay at Villa Park. Playing under a proven manager like Unai Emery is also an incentive. However, at any stage of one’s career, it is difficult for a English player to decline an offer by Manchester United, which is still probably the biggest club in the country.
Main photo credit: IMAGO / Sportimage