Through the years, there’s something romantic about Manchester United signing gamers from inside the Premier League. It has typically been a match made in heaven, with the Crimson Devils recruiting confirmed gamers from top-flight rivals, who’ve so typically gone on to make an enormous distinction in a title race.
Maybe the very best instance is Wayne Rooney, who joined United from Everton in 2004, as an 18-year-old. Rooney is now the club’s record goalscorer, and gained numerous tiles each domestically and continentally with United, signing for a deal worth up to £27m.
Rio Ferdinand is one other participant who United introduced in from a fellow Premier League facet, this time bitter rivals Leeds United. Ferdinand cost the Red Devils £30m, a report price on the time, and the defender grew to become a pivotal member of the facet, serving to to create the identical dynasty Rooney constructed.
Legendary placing duo Dwight Yorke who signed from Aston Villa, and Andy Cole who signed from Newcastle United, have been additionally introduced in from top-flight rivals. Cole arrived a number of years earlier than Yorke, however each have been pivotal in United’s treble success of 1998/99 – contributing 53 goals between them.
Now, United might look to repeat the feat this summer season and signal among the finest strikers of the 2023/24 season to strengthen their attacking choices.
Man Utd trying to signal Premier League striker
The participant in query right here is Aston Villa and England striker Ollie Watkins, who has had a stellar season at Villa Park, serving to his facet into the Champions League. He has now been attracting curiosity from a number of golf equipment this summer season, together with Manchester United.
Not less than, that’s according to Graeme Bailey, who claims that Watkins is well liked by the Previous Trafford membership, ‘who desire a striker to ease the burden’ on 21-year-old Rasmus Hojlund.
Nevertheless, United aren’t the one Premier League facet who’re focused on signing 28-year-old Watkins from the Villans. Bailey explains that the England worldwide additionally has ‘admirers’ from Arsenal, United’s arch-rivals Liverpool, and Chelsea.
With that being mentioned, it could be a troublesome deal to do, regardless of all 4 golf equipment believing Watkins may very well be signed on the proper worth. In accordance with Bailey, Unai Emery’s facet ‘insist they don’t have any plans to promote’ their star man, particularly given the actual fact they’ve Champions League soccer to sit up for at Villa Park subsequent season.
How Watkins might replicate Yorke at Man Utd
There are a number of placing similarities between Yorke’s transfer to United and Watkins’ potential switch to the 13-time Premier League champions. The primary factor is, in fact, they’re each coming from Villa.
Yorke joined United for a price of £17.3m in 1998, off the again of a powerful season at Villa Park, in which he scored 12 goals and registered four assists. In immediately’s cash, he would have price the Crimson Devils £75.6m, labored out using the conversion tool on The Transfer Index.
Watkins himself goes into the summer season following an excellent marketing campaign. The 28-year-old scored 19 goals and registered 13 assists in 37 Premier League video games this season. As per Football Observatory, he’s at the moment valued at £52m however might price upwards of £75m, an analogous price to what Yorke would price in 2024.
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Watkins and Yorke most up-to-date Premier League seasons for Villa |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Watkins (2023/24) |
Yorke (1997/98) |
|
Video games |
37 |
30 |
|
Targets |
19 |
12 |
|
Assists |
13 |
4 |
|
Stats from Transfermarkt |
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Watkins might actually have an analogous affect at United to that of Yorke. The Trinidad and Tobago worldwide was greater than only a goalscorer for the Crimson Devils, providing 32 assists to go along with his 66 goals. Watkins can be a supplier of objectives in addition to a scorer, as he has proven this season. His 13 assists have been bettered by nobody else, and he gained the playmaker award.
Watkins was described as a “nightmare to play towards” by Leicester City defender Conor Coady last April, and that is actually one thing that’s mirrored in his stats from this season. As per Fbref, Watkins averages 0.36 assists per 90 minutes within the Premier League this season, which ranks him within the high 1%. He is a superb creator.
Not solely that, however he has the uncanny skill to make one thing out of nothing in entrance of objective, the mark of all good strikers. He averages 0.73 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which locations him within the high 7%.
Like Yorke, Watkins would be part of United as a confirmed Premier League footballer within the prime of his profession. While he must sacrifice Champions League soccer this season, he has the prospect to assist take the Crimson Devils again to the highest and go down within the historical past of the membership.
It stays to be seen whether or not a deal for the Englishman might be struck, but it could be one that would assist spur United on and assist them struggle on all fronts for trophies once more.
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