Man United get ‘innovative’ with Garnacho swap proposal in striker pursuit

Manchester United have reportedly spoken to Aston Villa over a swap deal involving Alejandro Garnacho and Ollie Watkins.

The Red Devils have already strengthened their attacking ranks this summer, having splashed the cash to sign Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford respectively.

However, they are still keen to recruit a natural number nine before the transfer window closes for business on September 1.

Man United’s recruitment team are believed to be considering Watkins as a potential option to solve their striker woes.

However, they are believed to be reluctant to meet Aston Villa’s £60m asking price for a player who will turn 30 later this year.Recent reports have suggested that Man United are only willing to pay between £40m and £45m for the England international.

According to The Independent, Man United are now looking at ‘innovative solutions’ to combat their concerns regarding the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR).As a result of their PSR worries, Ruben Amorim’s side are making an effort to negotiate swap deals for their transfer targets.

The report claims that Man United have spoken to Aston Villa over a potential deal that would see Garnacho and Watkins move in opposite directions. The Villans are still maintaining the stance that they will not part ways with Watkins during the current summer transfer window.

The Red Devils also discussed a swap proposal with Chelsea involving Garnacho and Nicolas Jackson, who could depart following the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.

Chelsea are said to be among the admirers of Garnacho, but they are not willing to pay more than £30m for the Argentina international.The Blues would demand more than double to sanction Jackson’s departure, meaning a straight swap would be out of the equation.

If Man United could secure a sale for Garnacho, it would represent a pure profit under PSR’s rules due to the player’s status as an academy graduate.However, the Red Devils appear to be finding it difficult to offload Garnacho in a deal that would suit all parties.