Romano confirms Man United want to sign ‘outstanding’ EPL star after dropping interest in Liverpool target | OneFootball

Manchester United are indeed interested in signing Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins after making a clear decision on their striker pursuit.

The Red Devils have been linked with a plethora of attacking options over the past few months. But thus far, only Matheus Cunha has arrived.

MUFC have been vigorously trying to finalise the transfer of Bryan Mbeumo, but have yet to conclude an agreement with Brentford. Nevertheless, Fabrizio Romano urges the club’s supporters to remain patient, insisting that the deal is still advancing.

The Italian journalist revealed as much in the latest video update posted on his official YouTube channel.

Fabrizio Romano provides latest on Mbeumo, Ekitike Watkins & Duran

In this clip, Romano reiterates United’s desire to splash the cash on Mbeumo, but on the other hand, they are looking for a cheaper solution for the centre-forward role. Therefore, the transfer market expert rules out a move for Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike, who could cost a figure in the region of £70-80 million.

Therefore, Man Utd have cleared the path for their arch-rivals Liverpool who have seemingly identified the 22-year-old Frenchman as the right profile to replace Darwin Nunez.

Moreover, Romano confirmed United’s interest in Watkins as first revealed by The Athletic on Monday afternoon. The club contacted Aston Villa to enquire about the player’s availability and the conditions of a potential deal.

The 29-year-old represents an experienced profile with 184 Premier League appearances under the belt. His tally features 75 goals and 36 assists.

Why Man United are following Ollie Watkins

The ‘outstanding’ England star is currently tied to Aston Villa with a contract valid until June 2028, but he is considered an affordable candidate, at least compared to the prices of some of the other centre-forwards pursued by Man United.

However, the Reds turned down the opportunity to try and rekindle the partnership between Watkins and his former Villa teammate Jhon Duran. Romano reveals that the Colombian has been offered to Man Utd in recent days, but INEOS weren’t interested. Hence, he is now on the verge of finalising his transfer from Al-Nassr to Fenerbahce.