What can Ollie Watkins bring to Man Utd? | OneFootball

Ollie Watkins has emerged as a main candidate for Manchester United as Ruben Amorim looks to bring in a proven striker to fill the goals void.

The Red Devils scored just 44 times in the Premier League last season with only Everton and the three relegated sides netting fewer.

United have begun to fix that issue with the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo who had 48 Premier League goal involvements between them last season.

A final piece of the puzzle for Amorim's attack is a new number nine. United have been linked to several strikers during the summer but the club have to be wary about their financial situation especially without big sales going through.

One player who has been strongly linked with an Old Trafford switch is Ollie Watkins who could prove a cheaper alternative to someone like Benjamin Šeško.

Could the Aston Villa man prove to be the best option of all though? Let's take a look at what the striker could bring to Manchester United...

In his prime: Ollie Watkins will turn 30 in December and is a striker in his prime, something that United simply don't have right now.

Rasmus Højlund only turned 22 earlier this year, something that is often forgotten when his price tag is mentioned, and is still developing after having been given a burden last season. Meanwhile, Chido Obi is still just 17 despite making eight senior appearances for the club. With Zirkzee more likely to be one of Amorim's number 10s, Watkins' experience is desperately needed.

Adapted for the system: Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system is well known with two number 10s supporting a main striker up front.

Strikers don't all need to be as explosive and direct as Viktor Gyökeres though. Before signing the Swede, Amorim brought in Paulinho from former club Braga (now playing his trade with Toluca in Mexico) who was a far more conventional centre forward – holding up the ball, moving the ball wide, and getting in the right place to provide the finish.

Premier League proven: Watkins has now had five seasons in the Premier League with Aston Villa and is certainly proven at the top level in England.

In comparison, Højlund came from Serie A and has struggled with the strength of the game at times in England. His stats underline that: 11 goals in 21 European games for the Red Devils compared to 15 74 in domestic competitions. That's one goal every 0.52 European games and 0.2 for domestic games, a massive difference.

The Villa striker's experience in the Premier League would be vital for United and tie in with the previously-proven signings of Cunha and Mbeumo.

Goals galore: Saving the most important thing until last, Ollie Watkins will provide the thing United need most – goals.

Watkins had bagged 75 goals in five Premier League seasons since his arrival at Villa (as well as 34 assists).

The England international's last two seasons have been his best in the competition. The 2023/24 season saw him with a superb record of 19 goals and 13 assists – a season in which Watkins had the most assists in the league and only Cole Palmer managed more goal involvements (33 to Watkins' 32).

Last season wasn't quite as prolific for Watkins but the numbers are still more than credible, 16 goals and eight assists. It should be noted that the striker featured less often last year with 37 league starts in 23/24 compared to 31 in 2024/25.

Those kinds of numbers could have made a massive difference to United last season, likely seeing them finish several places higher and perhaps ending the season with silverware.

Amorim must lean hard on the club to bring in Watkins or someone who can replicate his output to really compete next season.