Both Manchester United and Arsenal have emerged as serious contenders for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, according to a report from The Sun.
The 30-year-old has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most consistent centre-forwards during his time at Villa Park since arriving from Brentford.
Aston Villa have made their valuation clear, with Unai Emery’s side demanding around £40m to sanction the departure of Watkins, whose contract runs until 2028.
Manchester United are exploring the striker market partly because Joshua Zirkzee has been linked with a return to Serie A, leaving their forward options uncertain heading into the new season.
Zirkzee has struggled badly to find his feet in English football, starting only five league matches last term after joining from Bologna a couple of years ago.
United do have Benjamin Sesko available, and the forward showed glimpses of quality during the second half of last campaign, making 13 goal contributions across all competitions after initially struggling with the Premier League’s physicality.
Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha can also provide cover in the centre-forward position, but United are still actively monitoring Watkins as a potential addition.
Arsenal’s interest is driven by a desire to replace Gabriel Jesus, with Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres currently making up their striker options alongside the injury-prone Brazilian.
Havertz has suffered numerous fitness problems similar to Jesus in recent months, while Gyokeres produced inconsistent performances throughout last season, making the Watkins pursuit understandable.
Fenerbahce have also registered an interest in Watkins and were prepared to launch a formal £30m proposal, but Villa made it clear they would not accept a bid at that level.
With Emery’s side firmly in control of the asking price and two Premier League heavyweights circling, the transfer battle looks set to intensify significantly in the coming weeks.
Watkins brings pace, physicality, aerial ability, and a strong work rate off the ball, making him an attractive proposition for any club looking to strengthen in attack.
Whether Arsenal or Manchester United move first with a concrete approach could prove decisive in determining where the striker ends up this summer.