Jurgen Klopp and Steven Gerrard, two Liverpool greats, have previously given their seal of approval for Manchester United’s potential mega swap deal involving Marcus Rashford this summer.
The Red Devils are considering a sensational swap deal that would see Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa become permanent in exchange for Ollie Watkins, according to the Daily Star. Rashford has been plying his trade at Villa Park since January, contributing four assists and two goals in 14 appearances after being sidelined by Ruben Amorim at United.
Previously valued at $53 million (£40 million) by Manchester United, the 27-year-old England international could now be used as a bargaining chip to secure Watkins. Amorim is on the hunt for a top-class number nine and Watkins’ current predicament could play into his hands.
Watkins has been left frustrated due to limited game time since January, with Unai Emery favouring Rashford as his main striker. Despite being benched for most of April, the 29-year-old Watkins, who boasts a record of 16 goals and 13 assists in 50 games this season, continues to attract interest from several rival clubs and remains highly regarded in English football circles.
Liverpool legends Klopp and Gerrard have previously sung his praises. Gerrard, who managed Watkins during his year-long tenure at Villa, even compared him to one of Liverpool’s finest strikers of this century.
Steven Gerrard waxed lyrical about Ollie Watkins’ abilities, comparing him to a former teammate at Liverpool. He stated: “I picture Ollie Watkins at his best when he’s really front-footed, aggressive with that bit between his teeth.”
(Image: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
“He is a lovely player on the eye with the goals he scores and his technical ability,” he added. “He reminds me in a lot of ways, in terms of his profile and how he goes about it, of a player I played with – Fernando Torres.”
Klopp also lavished praise on Watkins following the Villa forward’s phenomenal hat-trick against the Reds in 2021, which contributed to a historic 7-2 win for Villa. The enthusiastic German coach said: “Ollie is a really, really talented striker.
“Obviously the manager knew him from before and it was a really good signing. The whole Brentford attacking line was exceptional in the Championship season before.
“So that suits really well. He’s physically strong so he can keep the ball, he can jump high, he is very fast – that’s a good package.”
Additionally, Klopp remarked on Watkins’ threat, saying: “Nobody has to remind me how good he is but how we always try to defend strikers, we try to avoid passes into their area. With him, that’s not different than it is to others.”
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Despite the admiration from two Liverpool greats, it isn’t Anfield where the rumors suggest Watkins might end up. Instead, another Premier League titan, Arsenal, was interested in the striker during the January window.
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher revealed recently that Aston Villa had proposed Watkins to the North London side, with Arsenal allegedly falling short in their bid.
Manchester United seems determined to ship out Rashford after this season. Despite his recent good form, Aston Villa might not fancy a swap deal though.
As Watkins expressed, he’s been less than thrilled with bench time: “I’m not going to lie – I was fuming I wasn’t playing. I let him know that. He’s the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision. But I’m not one of the players happy to sit on the bench.”
The English striker didn’t shy away from talking about his dissatisfaction with being sidelined in massive matches, saying: “It’s something I haven’t experienced before, missing out on the biggest stage. You always want to play, especially in the Champions League. Me and a few others are disappointed we didn’t start the game, but like I said, it’s the manager’s decision.”
He mentioned his ambitions clearly: “I wanted to be starting in the important games because I’ve played a big part to get to where we are today. Rather than let it hinder you, you have to use that anger and let it spur you on to prove the manager different.”
What could cause issues for United is that Villa are eyeing up a Champions League spot and seem set for European football regardless next season. United need to bank on Europa League triumph for European football, which can influence their summer transfer budget and strategy significantly.
Liverpool.com says: Watkins is a good player but it would be a strange move for Manchester United. The striker is 29 years old and therefore the best years of his career might be behind him. Mohamed Salah is older, but he is an exception. Generally, going for younger players makes much more sense for the long term.
