Manchester United looked into a wild idea: swapping Marcus Rashford for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. This was all going down as Rashford’s loan spell at Villa wound to a close. But the proposal fizzled out before it ever got serious. Rashford, who’s now 27, had been sent to Villa Park for the back half of last season after he basically lost the dressing room under Ruben Amorim. Villa had an option to buy him outright for £40 million, but in the end, they backed out of making the deal permanent.
It almost played out very differently. Before Villa turned their backs on the idea of signing Rashford, United tested the water to see if they could swap him for Watkins instead. Watkins was also dangled in front of Arsenal earlier in the year, so this wasn’t the first time Villa were tempted to cash in. But things took a twist: The Athletic now says United have circled back to Watkins with a fresh approach—this time without Rashford anywhere in the conversation.
One big reason this saga keeps dragging on is Villa’s money problems. The club has to dance around the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, which means they might need to sell a high-profile star before the summer’s out. Watkins is basically the crown jewel in that equation, especially after Villa pocketed £65 million from selling Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr in January.
Offloading Watkins would be massive. This is the guy who carried Villa’s attack all season, clocking 17 league goals and dishing out 14 assists. You don’t just replace that production overnight. It’s no wonder supporters would riot if he left. Even so, the economics might force Villa’s hand if the right bid lands on their desk.
Yet for all his heroics, Watkins never fully won over Unai Emery when the stakes were highest. In both legs of their Champions League quarter-final against PSG, Rashford actually got the nod ahead of him, leaving Watkins stewing on the bench. He later admitted to Sky Sports that he was “fuming” over it. You could almost hear the steam coming out of his ears.
Watkins didn’t sugar-coat how he felt about sitting out the biggest games of the season. He said he told Emery exactly what he thought of the decision but tried to spin it as fuel rather than resentment. He made it clear he has no interest in warming the bench, no matter who the opponent is.
On United’s end, the fascination with Watkins is easy to understand. Despite throwing money at Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee, neither has proven reliable. Watkins’ combination of work rate, Premier League experience, and finishing is precisely the profile United have lacked. Whether Villa are willing to hand him over—especially now, with financial stress piling up—is another story entirely.
So here we are: Rashford staying put, Watkins annoyed about being benched, and United plotting another move. If Villa decide they can’t balance the books without a sale, this saga might not be over. And if Watkins’ frustration keeps simmering, United could be poised to pounce—with or without a swap on the table.
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