“Fuming But Fired Up”: Ollie Watkins Reacts to Rashford Snub as Man Utd Launch £60m Transfer Move

Manchester United have reignited their hunt for a striker, and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is now top of the list. But behind the scenes, there’s more to this developing transfer saga than meets the eye. 

Last season, Watkins shared a dressing room with Marcus Rashford during the England star’s loan spell at Villa Park. But while Rashford was favored to start in both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, Watkins was benched, sparking a furious reaction. 

The 29-year-old England international revealed his frustration in a post-match interview with Sky Sports just days after he exploded back into the starting XI with a stunning hat-trick in Villa’s 4-1 demolition of Newcastle. 

“I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games, so I’m not going to lie, I was fuming I wasn’t playing,” Watkins admitted.
“I let him [Unai Emery] know that. He’s the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision. But I’m not one of the players happy to sit on the bench.” 

“It’s something I haven’t experienced before, missing out on the biggest stage. You always want to play, especially in the Champions League. Me and a few others are disappointed we didn’t start… Rather than let it hinder you, you have to use that anger as motivation.” 

Rashford, who joined Villa on loan in January, was preferred by Unai Emery in the two-legged clash. Despite the gamble, Villa were eliminated by PSG 5-4 on aggregate, and Rashford failed to find the net in either game. 

Watkins, limited to just 25 minutes across both ties, answered in the best possible way, delivering a statement performance against Newcastle that may now have reignited Manchester United’s interest. 

Unai Emery later addressed his decision to bench Watkins, saying: 

“It was my selection, tactically… Of course, Watkins is very, very important for us. He’s scoring goals for us, and last Saturday, his impact was fantastic.” 

“On Tuesday [against PSG], it was difficult for him to read the match and show his power. But he worked, he is ready. I am so, so happy with him. As players, they can be sad or angry at not playing, I prefer angry.” 

Now, with Erik ten Hag keen to bolster United’s front line, the Red Devils are reportedly willing to pay around £60 million to bring Watkins to Old Trafford. The move would reunite him with Rashford, this time on the same side and not in competition.