Manchester United are considering a shock swap deal involving Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins.
Rashford has joined Aston Villa on-loan until the end of the season, following a bust-up with United boss Ruben Amorim. It remains to be seen if he wants to go back to United, where club bosses are keen to off-load him this summer.
The 27-year-old has contributed one goal and five assists since joining the Midlanders. Villa have been told to stump up around £40m to make the deal permanent.
And with Rashford impressing since joining Unai Emery’s side, United believe this might boost their chances of luring Watkins to Old Trafford.
Rashford’s form has seen him overtake Watkins as their first choice centre forward. He was selected ahead of him for their 3-2 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, which saw Villa eliminated from the competition after losing 5-4 on aggregate.
Should Villa decide to sign Rashford, Watkins might be keen to leave Villa Park to secure more football elsewhere.
Watkins was a transfer target of Arsenal last summer, but Villa rejected their advances.
But if Watkins makes it clear he wants to go, United would consider offering Rashford plus a significant cash payment in return for getting the 29-year-old England international.
Watkins has bagged 15 goals in 47 games in all competitions for Villa this term.
But he has struggled to replicate his sensational form last season, which saw him notch 27 times in 53 outings.
He has 85 goals in 216 games in a Villa shirt and until his recent demotion had been an ever-present for the Villains since his switch from Brentford in 2020.
Daily Star
