Aston Villa's summer of upheaval shows no sign of letting up, with Manchester United and Arsenal monitoring developments over striker Ollie Watkins after the Europa League winners rejected a £35m approach from Turkish side Fenerbahce.
The 30-year-old England international was the subject of a bid from Fenerbahce, but Villa made it clear they would not accept it, according to The Sun. However, Arsenal and United are interested in signing Watkins as they look to refresh their attacks, and £40m could be enough to lure Villa into talks.
“Man Utd and Arsenal circle Ollie Watkins after Villa reject Fenerbahce's £35m bid, as summer exits mount.”
Arsenal are expected to sell Gabriel Jesus this summer, with the Brazilian forward attracting interest from AC Milan, and the Gunners reportedly view Watkins as an ideal replacement. United, meanwhile, could offload Joshua Zirkzee, with Juventus keen on the former Bologna striker. Reports claim the Dutch international has given Juventus his seal of approval ahead of transfer talks, though no club-to-club discussions have taken place. AS Roma are also interested in Zirkzee, and if United sell him, The Sun suggests Michael Carrick's side would then make an official approach for Watkins.
Villa's financial situation is tricky. They need to sell players to comply with UEFA's Squad Cost Ratio, which limits spending to 70% of revenue. The club have already sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117m, a record for an English player, and Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United after his £35m release clause was triggered. Lucas Digne is expected to join Paris St-Germain, and Ezri Konsa could be targeted by Arsenal. Villa have lost 489 Premier League appearances from the squad, plus two players who scored in the Europa League final.
Despite the exits, Villa are set to bring in around £45m from the Tielemans and Digne transfers, and have signed Swiss star Johan Manzambi for a similar fee. But with further sales likely, the question remains whether Unai Emery can work his magic again. Villa finished fourth last season to qualify for the Champions League, but after ending a 30-year trophy drought with May's Europa League win, the squad is being dismantled. Emery has overseen a revival since taking over a side 14th in the table in November 2022, but the financial shackles have long been a frustration.
Villa would have preferred to keep Tielemans but could not afford to renegotiate his deal before United triggered his clause. Fringe players such as Leon Bailey and Evann Guessand could depart, though Tammy Abraham is happy and not looking to leave. With the Premier League landscape shifting—Tottenham spending big, Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, Andoni Iraola at Liverpool, and Michael Carrick at United—Villa's ability to repeat their top-four finish is uncertain. Will Emery's magic hold, or is the party over?
