Aston Villa: Watkins could have an ideal strike partner in Martial

Villa is reportedly interested in the Manchester United forward

Aston Villa has been the talk of a number of transfer rumors already leading up to the summer, as the end of the 2022/23 campaign is in sight.

The season has been a revelation for the Midlands club, who have shown great progress since the arrival of Unai Emery in October.

The Spaniard has taken Villa from a team with little direction loitering around the bottom third of the table, to European hopefuls with one game to go.

With just 90 minutes remaining of this joyous campaign at Villa Park, the club will endeavor to make changes to the squad this summer, with a host of talent already linked with a potential move.

The latest news has suggested that a current Premier League star could switch from Manchester to Birmingham to join Emery’s budding squad

What’s the latest on Anthony Martial to Aston Villa?

As reported by FootballTransfers, Manchester United forward Anthony Martial could be on the move this summer and could be a potential option for a loan deal at Villa Park.

The report understands that Villa is “weighing up” whether to bring the Frenchman to the club on a year-long loan with an option-to-buy.

The speculation comes as United’s movements in the transfer window are expected to focus on a forward that could see the 27-year-old become out of favor at Old Trafford.

What could Anthony Martial bring to Aston Villa?

When Martial signed from Monaco in 2015 for £36m, there were many questions asked over the price tag that made the 19-year-old British football’s most expensive teenager.

Almost eight years later, the forward has made 296 appearances for the Red Devils, as well as contributing to 140 goals through 53 assists and scoring 87 himself – as per Transfermarkt.

United have seen a lot of change at the club since his arrival, with a host of managers attempting to implement their ideas on the squad, which has worked less favorably for the Frenchman.

The 27-year-old has found his squad position in jeopardy due to extended spells on the sidelines due to injury and lack of form, linking him to a move away from the club having made just ten starts this campaign.

Despite being out-of-favor at Old Trafford, the Massy-born forward could be a worthy introduction to Emery’s system, and a suited partner to Ollie Watkins to lead the line.

Described as “unplayable” by former United man Lee Sharpe on TalkSPORT, the £250k-per-week forward has all the attributes to be a supporting striker or a number nine, highlighted by his passing and finishing abilities.

The Frenchman ranks in the top 5% of players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of frequency of assists, recording 0.26 per 90 – as per FBref, and also in the best 14% for successful take-ons, showing that he is a superb outlet in the final third.

When speaking to The Athletic in April, Emery spoke of his wishes to sign another forward to partner Watkins, giving Martial space to replenish his form and showcase his expertise that could benefit key areas of the squad through depth and individual performance.

With the English forward having become a revelation under the current boss, scoring 15 times this term, the idea of another rampant threat such as Martial joining him in the attacking third is a mouthwatering one.

United bringing in another forward could almost certainly see the Frenchman depart, and a potential loan deal would be a strong route for Villa who will be trialing change this summer ahead of the Spaniard’s first full season in charge.