Bryan Mbeumo has already approved Man Utd's transfer move for their own Mo Salah

Manchester United wrapped up the signing of Bryan Mbeumo last week in a deal worth up to £71million and Ruben Amorim's side are moving on to their next priority target

New Manchester United star Bryan Mbeumo has already approved their move for Ollie Watkins - who could be the Red Devils' own Mo Salah. Watkins, 29, played alongside Mbeumo for then-Championship side Brentford in the 2019-20 season.

The pair scored a combined 40 goals as the Bees narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League, losing the play-off final to Fulham. Now United want to reunite the duo, as Mirror Football understands that Watkins has become the Red Devils' top target in their pursuit of a new striker.

Aston Villa privately insist Watkins isn't for sale at any price but United believe that a deal could be done for between £40million and £45m. That'd be considerably less than the £71m which Ruben Amorim's side agreed to pay Brentford for Mbeumo earlier this month.

The 25-year-old is a big fan of Watkins, comparing him to Salah during an interview with Sky Sports in 2020. Brentford's front three at the time, which also included Said Benrahma, were being compared to the famous Liverpool's iconic trio of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

"Said would be Roberto Firmino, very attacking, a good finisher," Mbeumo explained. "I think it would be hard to say who is who among Mo Salah and Sadio Mane but I would probably be Mane and Ollie would be Salah."

Watkins was flattered by the comparisons, saying: "They are unbelievable, some of the best in the world and it's nice to always be compared to players of that stature. But I feel like we are compared to any front three that score a lot of goals. "

That summer, Brentford sold Watkins to Villa in a deal worth up to £33m and he's gone on to score 87 goals across five seasons. The England international's proven track record in the Premier League has seen him rise to the top of United's shortlist.

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The Red Devils have alternatives, though, including Benjamin Sesko and Randal Kolo Muani. Sales will be important in getting a deal done for any striker, with United still yet to get rid of the majority of Amorim's five-man 'bomb squad' who haven't travelled on their pre-season tour of the USA.

Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan with an option to buy while Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia remain at the club. Old Trafford chiefs are also open to selling Rasmus Hojlund, who was a target for Inter Milan before they turned to Parma striker Ange-Yoan Bonny.