Man Utd and Arsenal monitor Watkins after Fenerbahce snub
Manchester United and Arsenal are monitoring Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins after Villa rejected a £30m approach from Fenerbahce, reports say. The same window also links Villa to chelsea striker nicolas jackson in separate talks, with a £40m-plus bar set for Watkins.
Key Takeaways
- Man Utd and Arsenal are monitoring Ollie Watkins after Villa knocked back Fenerbahce interest, per The Sun via Sky Sports and Metro.
- Villa rejected a £30m Fenerbahce proposal and would only consider offers above £40m for Watkins.
- Villa have opened talks with Chelsea over chelsea striker nicolas jackson, with a reported £65m asking price.
- Watkins, 30, scored 21 goals last season and is on holiday after two World Cup substitute appearances for England.
According to Sky Sports Paper Talk, Saturday’s newspapers had Manchester United and Arsenal monitoring the Aston Villa striker. Metro, citing The Sun, says both clubs are watching his situation as the summer window enters its final month.
That matters because Premier League rivals are circling a proven scorer while Villa weigh a high-profile replacement conversation involving chelsea striker nicolas jackson. For readers tracking lifestyle angles around elite football wealth and trophy homes, see our Luxury Real Estate & Dream Homes hub.
Why are Manchester United and Arsenal watching Watkins now?
Metro reports Arsenal and United are considering a move for Watkins. He scored 21 goals for Villa last season as Unai Emery’s side finished fourth in the Premier League and beat Freiburg in the Europa League final.
United have started pre-season without Benjamin Sesko because of a calf injury, while Juventus have made an approach to sign Joshua Zirkzee. Arsenal could also seek a new striker and remain open to offers for Gabriel Jesus.
Watkins is currently on holiday after featuring for England at the World Cup, where he made two substitute appearances.
How much would Aston Villa want for Ollie Watkins?
The Sun report, relayed by Metro, says Villa have already rejected a £30 million proposal from Turkish side Fenerbahce. Villa would only consider offers in excess of £40m.
That valuation means any Premier League bid would need to clear that threshold before talks become serious. No confirmed bid from Arsenal or Manchester United has been reported beyond monitoring interest.
Where does Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson fit in?
In a separate claim from The Sun, also reported by Metro, Aston Villa have opened talks with Chelsea over a potential deal for Nicolas Jackson. Emery already worked with Jackson at Villarreal.
Chelsea are understood to be demanding a £65m fee. Jackson scored 11 goals during his loan spell with Bayern Munich last season. He is also on holiday after playing for Senegal at the World Cup, and Chelsea are allowing Xabi Alonso to make the final decision on his Stamford Bridge future.
Taken together, the Watkins monitoring story and the Jackson talks point to Villa balancing outgoing interest with a possible incoming striker move before the window closes.