Manchester United will no doubt be looking to strengthen their centre-forward ranks this summer, with Erik ten Hag's side having been lacking a reliable number nine throughout the entire campaign.
Former talisman Cristiano Ronaldo scored just three times in all competitions prior to seeing his contract ripped up by mutual consent in November, while January arrival Wout Weghorst – who joined on loan from Burnley – has scored just twice for the Red Devils to date.
Those woes have been exacerbated by the injury setbacks of long-serving marksman, Anthony Martial, with the 27-year-old having been restricted to just 19 appearances across all fronts this term, scoring seven times.
That inability to get the Frenchman fit and firing has likely been a source of frustration for the United boss, with recent reports suggesting that the 53-year-old could be open to letting the striker depart this summer – with just over a year to run on the player's contract.
With at least one new forward set to be needed in the event of the former Monaco man's exit, there have been reports in Spain that the Old Trafford outfit are interested in signing Aston Villa hotshot, Ollie Watkins.
Should Man United sign Watkins?
On current form, it would seemingly be a real coup if United were able to prise the Englishman from Villa Park, with Watkins having been in deadly form in recent months, in particular.
The former Brentford ace is currently "sitting alongside [Erling] Haaland" with regard to his form following the World Cup break, as per Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand, having notably bagged 11 goals in his last 12 Premier League games.
That remarkable hot streak has ensured that the 27-year-old now boasts a standout tally of 15 goals and six assists in the top flight so far this term, having now reached double figures for league goals in each of the past three seasons for the Villans.
Such a respectable haul is undoubtedly in stark contrast to that of Martial, with the 30-cap enigma having scored just nine Premier League goals since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, notably scoring just once in the first half of last season prior to joining Sevilla on loan.
A notable benefit of bringing Watkins into the fold would also be the £75k-per-week man's impressive work ethic as he notably ranks in the top 20% among his European peers for interceptions made, while the current United man ranks in just the bottom 32% in that regard.
The all-round quality of the 5 foot 11, Villa man – as well as his proven record in England's top tier – could well make him an ideal replacement for Martial through the middle, with it having proved near on impossible to rely on the latter man of late.
