Aston Villa are not considering a sale of Ollie Watkins this summer, which will deal a bitter blow to Manchester United’s chase of the forward.

According to Sebastian Vidal, Manchester United could lose out on key striker target Ollie Watkins. The attacker may not leave Aston Villa, with the Birmingham side not keen to sell him this summer, which could force the Red Devils to look elsewhere.

Manchester United are now serious about a new striker in this window, with many options being linked with them at the current moment. The Red Devils suffered a few setbacks in their chase for primary targets earlier in the window, with the likes of Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres choosing other destinations over Old Trafford.

Having already signed the likes of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, Ruben Amorim is intent on adding a striker to the mix. Moreover, the manager does not want to rely on the talents of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, as the former could be sold if a new centre-forward arrives in this window.

There are a variety of names being linked with a move to Manchester United, including Ollie Watkins, as talks took place for the Aston Villa forward. There are other options, such as Nicolas Jackson, who could be seen as the preferred option over Watkins if the club had the choice. Unai Emery counts on the striker that cost them £28 million back in 2020, unless they can bring in a viable repalcement in this market.

Watkins might be open to joining Manchester United, as he probably seeks a change away from Aston Villa. He was close to leaving in January when Arsenal came calling, but a move could not be finalised as his club rejected a bid. This summer, he might be keen on a bigger challenge, as the Red Devils might be the best option for him right now in the market.

Aston Villa shit the door on Ollie Watkins

Journalist Sebastian Vidal, in his post on X, reported on Manchester United’s interest in Metz’s teenage striker Idrissa Gueye. As a follow-up on the post, he also mentioned the fact that Aston Villa have shut the door on Watkins’ sale this summer, which will have come as a bitter blow for the Red Devils, as the £28 million Aston Villa mainstay will continue at the club.

Watkins would have been the perfect striker with plenty of experience in the top flight, and due to his consistent goalscoring record. However, they may have to look elsewhere to strengthen their frontline with a new striker, as Manchester United could potentially consider moves for someone like Jackson.