Ollie Watkins Could Leave Aston Villa as Saudi Interest Forces Emery's Hand
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has admitted striker Ollie Watkins could leave the club before the summer transfer deadline, with Saudi side Al-Hilal pursuing the England international and offers already on the table (BBC Sport).
Emery said he does not want to sell Watkins but could not guarantee he would stay, adding that a move would only happen if it suited both the player and the club, and only if a replacement could be found. Watkins has scored 108 goals for Villa since joining from Brentford for £28 million in 2020 and is the club's record Premier League scorer. The 30-year-old has been linked with a transfer exit throughout the window, with reported interest from Turkey earlier in the summer (Yahoo Sports), though Villa sources told The Athletic as recently as August 20 that Watkins was being "fully relied on" this season (The Athletic).
The Watkins situation is unfolding against a backdrop of extraordinary turnover at Villa Park. Morgan Rogers has already joined Chelsea for a record £117 million. Defender Ezri Konsa is moving to Arsenal for £51 million. Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne are also departing. If Watkins and goalkeeper Emi Martinez both leave, Villa will have sold six of the starting eleven that won the Europa League two months ago.
Martinez's proposed move to Juventus collapsed after the clubs could not agree a fee. Emery revealed the goalkeeper had spoken about wanting "another challenge in his career," and said the club signed Japan international Zion Suzuki from Parma for £30 million because "he is a fantastic goalkeeper." Martinez will not be in the squad for Sunday's Premier League opener at Brighton, having had only one training session since returning from a post-World Cup break.
For Watkins, this is not the first time his Villa future has hung in the balance. In January 2025, Emery urged the club to keep hold of him amid interest, and Watkins was said to be happy to stay (Reuters). A year later, the tone has shifted. Emery, the 54-year-old Spaniard who arrived at Villa in late 2022 when the club was close to relegation, now speaks about the transfer window in conditional terms — open to selling if the right conditions are met.
Villa's financial strategy under Emery has been built on reinvesting proceeds from player sales into squad improvement. The club has already banked roughly £170 million from the departures of Rogers and Konsa alone. Selling Watkins would add another significant sum, but replacing a striker with 108 goals and a central role in a Europa League-winning side is a different kind of challenge.
What gives this story its edge is timing. The summer transfer window is closing, Villa's season starts at Brighton on Sunday, and the team that lifted European silverware in May is being dismantled piece by piece. Emery has consistently said the club is moving in the right direction, increasing its budget through strong results (Reuters). Whether that trajectory survives the loss of its record scorer is the question Villa fans now face.
