Manchester United has shown interest in Ollie Watkins, but Aston Villa insists that their player is not for sale, although the Englishman has made it clear that he will not accept a squadrol
Ollie Watkins has made it clear that he will never be one of those players who are “happy to sit on the couch” after Aston Villa has rejected a rise of Manchester United to land the striker.
The Red Devils are looking for a No. 9 and have put three players on the shortlist with the English international among them. Villa signed Watkins a few years ago after he was impressed by the championship and he has since proven himself in the Premier League.
Villa, who lost Jhon Duran in January, has announced that they are not interested in selling their attacker, despite interest from those on the red half of Manchester. Watkins will hope to return to the club's first choice after a difficult few months to end the season.
Ironically, it was the arrival of the loan of Marcus Rashford from United, who laid the playing time of Watkins as a result. Rashford has left since then and has closed itself on loan from Barcelona, but it means that Watkins will get less competition if things stand.
In the past term, Villa enjoyed a run to the last eight of the Champions League, defeating Club Brugge before PSG was closed in the quarterfinals. Because that tie chose Unai Emery for Rashford above Watkins – who was not well received.
The ex-Brentford striker made it clear that he was not a role he wanted. Watkins said last season: “He is the manager at the end of the day and you have to respect his decision, but I am not one of those players who is happy to sit on the couch. I was smoking that I did not play and I told him that.”
Emery also had Marco Asensio as a loanman for the second part of the season, but he and Rashford have left since. Villa has to do big attacking additions this summer and the Spanish manager has rejected the prospect that Watkins will be happy with Arsenal who belongs to him in January.
Emery said: “I don't want (to sell Watkins). It's good news to have offers from other clubs. We want to keep our sporting objective by the players we have in the team.” He also claimed: “Watkins is our striker.”
United is also supposed to have considered movements for PSG's Randal Kolo Muani and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic. However, Ruben Amorim has claimed that he would like to continue with his team as it looks now and claims: “If I start the season with this team, I will be happy.”