Emery confirms Watkins’ impending departure from Aston Villa
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has confirmed that striker Ollie Watkins is close to leaving the club. According to the coach, the footballer apologised to the team for not being available for the opening match of the new English Premier League season against Brighton & Hove Albion.
As Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Reuters, Watkins missed the match in which Aston Villa suffered a 0-4 defeat to Brighton. Emery said that after the game, the striker admitted his mistake, while the club and his teammates accepted his apology.
Possible transfer to Al-Hilal
According to British media, Watkins is set to complete a move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal for £50 million, or approximately $67 million. The same reports say Aston Villa are preparing to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson as Watkins’ replacement.
Emery highly praised the player’s attitude toward the team and his conduct. The coach said he had an emotional farewell with the forward, describing him as a wonderful person and footballer.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Aston Villa record holder
Watkins leaves the club as its all-time top scorer in Premier League history, having scored 91 goals in the English championship. Overall, since joining from Brentford in 2020 for £28 million, the striker has scored 108 goals in all competitions.
Emery also defended Aston Villa’s transfer policy amid the departures of several important players. According to media reports, goalkeeper Emi Martinez could also move to Chelsea. The coach said the club is making the necessary decisions to rebuild the squad as quickly as possible.
The club continued its squad overhaul by signing former Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka as a free agent. The German footballer won seven Bundesliga titles and the Champions League with the Munich club.
