Manchester United have apparently identified Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins as a possible alternative to Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane.
With Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst failing to impress in place of the departed Cristiano Ronaldo, a new striker is Erik ten Hag's top priority this summer.
England captain Kane had allegedly emerged as a leading target for the Red Devils, who have hitherto been hopeful of a deal due to the fact that the 29-year-old could become a free agent next year.
Kane is also believed to have caught the eye of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, but the Spurs attacker is determined to hunt down Alan Shearer at the top of the Premier League's scoring charts.
A move to Man United was therefore considered the most realistic option for Kane, but Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has no interest in selling his star attacker to a direct rival, in spite of his contract situation.
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With Man United not prepared to become involved in a protracted transfer saga, the Red Devils are now believed to have ended their interest in Kane, who is still valued at over £100m by Levy.
As a result, Man United are beginning to scope out alternative options, and The Athletic reports that Villa marksman Watkins is a name on Ten Hag's shortlist.
The 27-year-old enjoyed his best top-flight goalscoring season in a Lions jersey during the 2022-23 campaign, coming up with 15 goals and six assists in 37 Premier League outings under Steven Gerrard and Unai Emery.
After a difficult start to the season, Watkins rediscovered his golden touch under Emery and remarkably scored in 10 of Villa's 12 games between the end of January and middle of April, helping the Lions qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Watkins has now hit double figures in each of his three league campaigns with Aston Villa, and he would fit Ten Hag's brief as a Premier League-proven striker.
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The former Brentford man is only under contract at Villa Park for another two years, but the report adds that he is in discussions over a new deal with Emery's side.
Watkins boasts a total of 43 goals and 13 assists in 116 outings for Aston Villa since leaving Brentford in 2020, and he could be a cheaper alternative to some of Man United's other attacking targets.
Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani have both been scouted, but neither player is likely to be available for anything less than £100m this summer.
Atalanta BC and Denmark starlet Rasmus Hojlund is another name on Man United's wishlist, and the Red Devils allegedly believed that a fee as low as £40.2m could do the trick.
However, the Serie A giants are believed to have set an asking price of £85.3m, and Man United have no intention of forking out such an astronomical amount of money for the 20-year-old.
