Aston Villa's Watkins Apologizes Before Departure to Al-Hilal

Ollie Watkins said his sorry. Unai Emery said his goodbye.

The Aston Villa manager revealed that his departing striker apologised to the squad after refusing to play in Sunday’s game against Brighton, a flash of controversy at the end of an otherwise exemplary spell in claret and blue.

Watkins, 30, is expected in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete a £51m move to Al-Hilal, drawing a firm line under a four-year stay that reshaped Villa’s modern history. In parallel, Villa are moving to close a £65m deal for Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, the man asked to step into the boots of the club’s most prolific Premier League scorer.

An apology, then a hug goodbye

Emery did not hide the fact that Watkins had crossed a line at the weekend. The England international made himself unavailable for the Brighton match as the move to Al-Hilal edged closer, a decision that cut against the culture Emery has tried to build.

“He told us after the Brighton match he was sorry and that he had made a mistake. He was wrong, but we accepted it. The players as well,” Emery said, making it clear that the issue has been parked inside the dressing room.

The manager’s tone, though, quickly shifted from reprimand to affection. Watkins leaves as Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer with 91 goals, and 108 in all competitions, after arriving from Brentford for £28m in 2020. Those numbers tell one story. Emery’s words told another.

“His commitment and his behaviour was fantastic. He's a fantastic guy – a fantastic guy even more than a player. I told him 'bye' with a huge hug and with small tears.”

No grand farewell, no final appearance in front of the Holte End. Just a private goodbye, a manager and his striker parting ways as the business side of modern football bites hard.

Then Emery turned the page.

“But now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson.”

Jackson era starts under pressure

Villa have agreed a deal for Jackson and are racing to have the Senegal striker registered in time for Monday night’s visit of Arsenal. If the paperwork lands in time, he will walk straight into a squad stripped of some of its most experienced voices.

The fee – £65m – underlines how aggressively Villa are willing to move to stay in the Premier League’s top bracket. Jackson brings pace, versatility and a different profile to Watkins, but he also walks into a side that just lost its talisman and emotional reference point in attack.

The pressure on him will be instant. So will the comparisons.

Selling to grow

Watkins is not the only cornerstone to go. Villa’s summer has been defined by big decisions, big exits and bigger numbers. Emery understands the unease among supporters who watched a hugely successful 2025-26 season and expected consolidation, not dismantling.

He pushed back.

“We took decisions because it's good for the club,” he said. “Of course, we don't want to be a club that sells players, but the responsibility is there. It's crazy [money for someone] 30 years old and £50m for Ezri Konsa [who is 28].”

The logic is ruthless but clear. Villa have developed players, raised their value, and are now cashing in at peak price to reshape the squad again.

“How we developed in the last year with some players and how we can sell some players now is completely the right decision,” Emery argued. “We have to rebuild the team as fast as possible. [Fans] have to accept our way and why we are taking some decisions.”

The message is blunt: trust the process, even when it hurts.

Goretzka brings a winner’s edge

Rebuild does not just mean younger and more sellable. It also means proven pedigree. On Thursday, Leon Goretzka completed a free transfer to Villa after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, a significant piece of business buried beneath the noise around Watkins.

Goretzka arrives with seven Bundesliga titles and a Champions League winner’s medal in his luggage, the kind of résumé Villa have not often been able to attract in the modern era.

“He is a winner. He is a very competitive player – a good player to add into our squad,” Emery said. “He is versatile and arrives fit and training well. Hopefully on Monday he can be on the field.”

If Jackson represents the future, Goretzka represents instant authority: a midfielder used to pressure, trophies and expectation.

Watkins, meanwhile, heads for a new life and extraordinary money in Saudi Arabia, leaving behind goals, memories and a final, jarring refusal to play that ended with an apology and a hug.

Villa move on quickly now. Arsenal are coming, the squad is shifting, and the club’s strategy is laid bare. The question is no longer whether this is the right time to sell. It’s whether this new, risk-heavy version of Aston Villa can hit the ground running before the Premier League shows no mercy.