Man Utd plot shock £60m raid for Prem striker; Red Devils star wants Ten Hag to sign Serie A man | OneFootball

According to reports, Man Utd are plotting a move for Aston Villa and England striker Ollie Watkins, who enjoyed a superb end to the 2022/23 campaign.

The 27-year-old was one of the best strikers in the Premier League during the run-in as he benefitted from the arrival of Unai Emery.

Watkins went on a run of scoring 11 goals in 12 Premier League games between January and April. Overall, he grabbed 16 goals and six assists in his 40 appearances across all competitions.

The forward is under contract until 2025 and TEAMtalk reckon he is valued at around £60m this summer.

Erik ten Hag is looking to sign at least one new striker this summer. He is keen to sign Harry Kane but Man Utd have been priced out of a move for the Tottenham sensation, who is valued at £100m by their Premier League rivals.

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani are among United’s alternative targets, but they are also looking at Watkins.

The Athletic state: ‘Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is one who has a proven record. He’s scored 14, 11, and 15 goals in his three seasons in the Premier League and has been watched by United. He has two years left on his Villa contract but is in talks over a new deal.’

Ten Hag is understood to be keen to sign a proven striker along with a younger forward and Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund is reportedly his ‘favourite’ option.

The 20-year-old signed for the Serie A outfit from Sturm Graz last summer. In his debut season in Italy, he was involved in 23 goals in his 43 outings across all competitions.

Hojlund has also scored five goals in his first five senior appearances for Denmark. Red Devils player Christian Eriksen plays with the striker at international level and he has admitted that he can “see him” at United’

“I can see him [Hojlund] at Manchester United, but I haven’t recommended him to Erik ten Hag,” Eriksen told Ekstra Bladet.

“He is a fantastic guy and a good player and has really developed brilliantly at Atalanta. What the club ends up doing, I will not be able to answer.”

Eriksen added: “It’s a club where there’s a huge amount of attention because everyone has an attitude towards Manchester United. I had tried a lot when I came to the club. So I knew a little bit about what size the club was.

“For younger players who come to the club, it can be really difficult, because the club is the size it is now.”