Bryan Mbeumo has offered glowing praise for former teammate Ollie Watkins, calling the Aston Villa forward a “complete striker” amid growing speculation of a transfer to Manchester United. Ruben Amorim has intensified his search for a new centre-forward and reportedly has Watkins at the top of his wish list alongside RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.
Man Utd have Watkins on their shortlistMbeumo had earlier shared short spell with the player Lavished praise on the Aston Villa star Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
United’s recruitment team have narrowed their forward search to a two-player shortlist, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson no longer under consideration. Instead, Watkins and Sesko are now the primary candidates being assessed to bolster Amorim’s attacking options. Both players have been approached informally via their representatives, and discussions are believed to be ongoing. Watkins’ proven Premier League record is reportedly a major factor in his favour. Since his move to Aston Villa, the 29-year-old has found the net 75 times in England’s top division.
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Mbeumo and Watkins shared a prolific season at Brentford before the latter’s move to Villa Park. Reflecting on their partnership, Mbeumo spoke highly of the England international during an appearance on , emphasising the forward’s technical intelligence and positional flexibility.
WHAT MBEUMO SAID
"Ollie is a complete striker," Mbeumo said. “He can do a lot of things. He can drop to be available or go in behind. And that is really good for me as a winger because you can use his space to fit in there. Plus he can combine as well. It’s really good.”
DID YOU KNOW?
While Villa have publicly denied any intention of parting ways with their star striker, recent history suggests the door might not be entirely closed. Back in January, the Midlands club offered Watkins to Arsenal, only to retract that stance after offloading Jhon Duran instead. At the time, Villa’s asking price was £60 million ($81m), but sources now suggest a fee in the region of £40m to £45m could be enough to tempt the club into negotiating. For United, this could represent a more financially feasible route compared to other high-profile alternatives like Sesko.