Ollie Watkins was absent from Aston Villa’s squad for their Premier League opener, a shock 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion that saw Joao Gomes sent off in the first half for what was deemed to be violent conduct.
The striker has been pushing for a move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal as the club is also looking to bring in Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli.
After six years at Villa, Watkins has tallied 108 goals and 47 assists in 278 appearances across all competitions. He also helped the club win the Europa League in 2026 and scored England’s winner against the Netherlands to send the Three Lions into the Euro 2024 final.
Now, his push for a move for the ridiculous riches on offer in Saudi Arabia have left Villa manager Unai Emery almost at a loss for words, as the Spaniard simply answered “silence” when asked about his striker’s whereabouts ahead of the loss to Brighton.
Why Is Ollie Watkins Leaving Aston Villa Now?
Why now? After everything Watkins has accomplished at Villa, why does he want to leave now, especially when there really isn't another proper striker in the team other than Tammy Abraham?
As the Inependent's Richard Jolly has written: "A tarnished legacy would be a shame because Watkins and Villa have been very good for each other. He had never played in the top flight before he became their club record signing. He became the only player to reach double figures of Premier League goals in each of the last six seasons."
He has all the hallmarks to be remembered as one of the club's greatest ever players, but a move to the Saudi Pro League could leave a sour taste among some Villa supporters.
This season would be only the second European Cup campaign since 1983 for Villa, which is something Watkins had previously longed for, though now he appears completely fine trading that for the generational money on offer overseas.
Watkins Could Become the Latest Europa League Winner to Leave Aston Villa
If and when Watkins leaves Villa, he could very well become the sixth player from the Europa League winning squad to have left after Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa, and Lucas Digne have left - and keeper Emiliano Martinez is also pushing for a move away from Villa.
Emery has made himself a specialist at winning the Europa League throughout his managerial career between tenures with Sevilla, Villarreal and Villa.
While the Lions can be forever grateful for lifting the 2026 Europa League with Watkins having tallied 5 goals and 2 assists from his 15 appearances in that competition, the goal was seemingly to build off of that this season in the Champions League campaign, but Emery may now have to rebuild a significant part of the team that delivered European success.
Losing such a significant group of players will inevitably make life more difficult, but Watkins leaving, after having been such a key figure in Villa's attack after working his way through England's lower tiers to get to the heights he's hit at Villa, is a pill a bit harder to swallow.
Saudi Arabia's Financial Pull Is Impossible to Ignore
It would be one thing going to another club in one of Europe's top five leagues to go on and continue playing Champions League football, but it's difficult to ignore just how much money is on the table at a club like Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. There's no disguising a player's desire to go play in the Middle East and just what, exactly, their motives are.
Watkins would be rather hard pressed to find anywhere else in the world where his wages could be more than doubled, as it's been suggested he'd be making roughly £20 million per year at Al-Hilal; a significant bump up from the £6.76 million per year he makes with Villa.
At 30 years of age, one could see why this would be a desired move for the striker, but will Villa fans see it from the same perspective? or will his legacy be a bit lesser than it would be if he'd stay with the club through his current contract, which runs through 2028?
