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Man Utd STEP UP Watkins pursuit as Arsenal close in on Gyokeres
Tom Weber
- Updated: 2 Jul 2025 19:03 BST
- 5 min read
News
Manchester United have 'accepted defeat' in their bid to sign Sporting CP superstar Viktor Gyokeres and will now push hard for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, according to a report.
Signing a new centre-forward was one of the Red Devils' top priorities heading into the summer transfer window, but this undertaking has so far not met with success.
Missing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea has forced Man Utd to put signing a new No.9 on the back burner, with the club instead focusing on signing Matheus Cunha and - so they hope - Bryan Mbeumo.
Compared
Matheus Cunha
AM, M (C)
Man Utd
Matheus Cunha
AM, M (C)
Man Utd
VS
Bryan Mbeumo
F (CR), M (R)
Brentford
Bryan Mbeumo
F (CR), M (R)
Brentford
|
|
ETV |
|
| €54.9M - €67M | ETV Range | €52.3M - €63.9M |
| 26 years old (27 May, 1999) | Age | 25 years old (07 Aug, 1999) |
|
Brazil
|
Nationality |
Cameroon
|
With both costing between €70 million and 80m, Man Utd will have to raise funds before they proceed with signing a top-class centre-forward. Nevertheless, this has not stopped them from exploring potential deals.
Man Utd, and especially head coach Ruben Amorim, had been keen on Sporting CP hotshot Viktor Gyokeres, but his preference for Arsenal, and the progress the Gunners have made in recent days, has now led to the Old Trafford club 'accepting defeat,' according to The Mirror.
Man Utd step up Watkins pursuit
The report claims that Man Utd will now instead step up their interest in Aston Villa and England forward Ollie Watkins, who was recently the subject of exploratory talks between the clubs when they discussed the future of Marcus Rashford after his loan at Villa Park.
It is claimed that Man Utd are making a 'concerted effort' to land the 29-year-old, who also remains an option for Arsenal should they fail to secure Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko. The Red Devils, it is asserted, are convinced that Gyokeres will end up a Gunner.
Villa are said to be demanding as much as €70m for Watkins, a fee that Man Utd are unsurprisingly unwilling to pay given his age. However, the player is keen on a new challenge, and Villa will likely have to make at least one big sale this summer, so there may be scope to push his price down.
For now, though, it seems difficult for this potential deal to develop as Man Utd have yet to raise any funds through sales. With Watkins under contract until 2028, there is also no immediate urgency for Villa to cash in on him, in particular, as they also have other stars who are drawing interest.
Football transfer news headlines today
DONE DEALS: Every official completed transfer around Europe today as Liverpool deal done
Viktor Gyokeres AGREES five year Arsenal contract
Eberechi Eze AGREES to Arsenal move as talks advance
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