Man Utd ready to green light Marcus Rashford swap deal to land Arsenal target (2025)

Ollie Watkins has become a target for Manchester United after losing his place to Marcus Rashford in recent weeks, with Unai Emery's decisions playing into Ruben Amorim's hands

Manchester United are considering using Marcus Rashford in a shock swap deal which would see them sign Arsenal transfer target Ollie Watkins. Rashford, 27, has spent the second half of the season with Villa, who have a £40million option to buy him permanently.

The England international has impressed Villa boss Unai Emery, so much so that he started both Champions League quarter-final matches against Paris Saint-Germain. His faith in Rashford has been at Watkins' expense, with the striker only starting one of Villa's previous six games before they hosted Newcastle on Saturday.

Watkins responded to his recall with a goal and an assist in a statement 4-1 victory, bolstering Villa's chances of finishing in the top five. The 29-year-old was the subject of a £60m bid from Arsenal in the January transfer window but Emery and Co. held firm, opting to sell Jhon Duran instead.

With summer approaching, United are ready to test Villa's resolve. The Daily Star report that Old Trafford chiefs would consider offering Rashford plus a significant cash payment in exchange for Watkins.

Although he's unlikely to match his tally of 27 goals from last season, Watkins has still bagged 16 in all competitions this term. The former Brentford star also made himself a hero for England, scoring the winner against the Netherlands in stoppage time of their Euro 2024 semi-final clash.

United are making a concerted effort to sign a striker this summer, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee only scoring 15 goals between them so far. Ipswich's Liam Delap is rumoured to be Ruben Amorim's No.1 target but the Red Devils will face competition from across the Premier League and may need to pivot.

Despite being under contract until 2028, Watkins' future has been the subject of speculation. He even told Emery that he was 'fuming' after not starting either game against PSG before Villa were narrowly knocked out.

Watkins said to Sky Sports after thrashing Newcastle: "Champions League, we've put in a lot of hard graft in the last few years to get to that position. I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games, so I'm not going to lie - I was fuming I wasn't playing. I let him (Emery) know that. He's the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision.

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"But I'm not one of the players happy to sit on the bench. It's something I haven't experienced before and then to miss 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. We did end up beating them but obviously not across both legs. The team played really well but I wanted to be out on the pitch much longer. I wanted to be starting in the important games because I've played a big part to get to where we are today."

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