Aston Villa manager Unai Emery paid an emotional tribute to Ollie Watkins as the striker prepares to complete a £51m transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal on Friday. The 30-year-old apologised to Emery and his teammates for making himself unavailable for Sunday's fixture against Brighton, an apology that was promptly accepted by the squad.
Watkins leaves Villa as the club's record Premier League goalscorer with 91 goals, and 108 in total across all competitions since arriving from Brentford for £28m in 2020. Emery praised the England forward's overall commitment and character, admitting he said goodbye to him with a hug and small tears.
To replace Watkins, Villa have agreed a £65m deal for Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson and are racing to register him ahead of Monday's home match against Arsenal. In addition, Villa recently secured the free-transfer signing of midfielder Leon Goretzka following his departure from Bayern Munich.
Addressing supporters, Emery defended the club's transfer strategy of selling experienced players after a successful 2025-26 season. He urged fans to back the decisions being made, insisting that rebuilding the team as quickly as possible is the right path forward for the club.
