Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United had the chance to sign Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins in the summer of 2023, but opted for Rasmus Hojlund instead.
Manchester United, the most successful team in English soccer, were in need of a striker in 2023. Despite links to several proven goalscorers, the club chose to invest in the young Danish forward Hojlund, paying a fee of €73.9 million ($81.03 million) to bring him in from Atalanta.
Since his move to United, the 21-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance but has also struggled to find consistency.
Manchester United’s Decision to Sign Rasmus Hojlund over Ollie Watkins
According to Romano, Manchester United had multiple options in 2023, including Watkins from Aston Villa. However, the club was content with Hojlund as their primary target.
In his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Romano explained:
“I’ve also been asked about a story involving United and Ollie Watkins in 2023, as it’s been claimed that they decided not to sign the Aston Villa striker, focusing instead on Ramus Hojlund.
“My information is that they had multiple options on the table, not only Watkins, but they consider Hojlund a huge talent for the future with big potential, so their number one choice in 2023 was always Hojlund.”
Looking back, signing Watkins may have been a more beneficial move for United, especially in the short term. The English striker had a standout season in 2023-24, contributing 19 goals and 13 assists in the Premier League. His performances were instrumental in Aston Villa’s qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
In contrast, Hojlund has scored 17 goals and provided 2 assists for United in 48 matches. However, given his age and relative inexperience in English football, there is room for improvement in his numbers with hard work and dedication.
