Aston Villa Brace for Al-Hilal's Improved Offer for Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa are braced for a renewed assault from Al-Hilal for Ollie Watkins after knocking back an opening offer of almost £40m for their talismanic striker.

The Saudi club have zeroed in on Villa’s all-time Premier League top scorer, a forward who has hit double figures in each of his six top-flight seasons since arriving from Brentford. At 30, with two years left on his deal and a reputation as a relentless runner and reliable finisher, Watkins has become the focal point of a tug-of-war between Villa’s ambitions and financial reality.

Watkins at the centre of Villa’s balancing act

Villa know exactly what losing Watkins would mean. Goals, work rate, dressing-room weight – all ripped out in one move. If they do sell, they will have to move quickly.

Unai Emery has long admired Nicolas Jackson and sees the Chelsea striker as a potential successor. But Chelsea’s £65m valuation is understood to be far beyond what Villa are prepared to commit right now. Any move for a marquee forward, or any major signing at all, is effectively chained to another big sale as Villa work within the Premier League’s financial regulations.

That is the hard edge behind this window: every ambitious idea has to be balanced by a significant exit.

Emery’s rebuild gathers pace

Emery has already overseen a substantial reshaping of his squad. Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne have all gone, joining Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. Rogers departed in a deal worth £117m, making him the most expensive British player of all time and underlining just how aggressively Villa have had to trade to keep pushing at the top end of the league.

Between the exits, the club have moved decisively. Zion Suzuki has arrived from Parma for £30m to step in for Emiliano Martínez, whose future remains unresolved. When Suzuki makes his debut, he will become the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Premier League – a landmark moment wrapped inside Villa’s broader transition.

At the back, Villa have completed a £17m move for Matteo Ruggeri from Atlético Madrid, adding energy and depth on the flank. In midfield and attack, they have gone big: Johan Manzambi has joined from Freiburg for a club-record £52m, while Joao Gomes has been prised from Wolves for £38m, both signings designed to keep Emery’s side aggressive and front-footed.

Talks are ongoing with Bayern Munich over João Palhinha and with West Ham for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, as Villa continue to probe the market for players who can raise the level again.

Big decisions still to come

The churn is not over. Villa are actively looking for a new club for Martínez, a World Cup-winning goalkeeper whose status remains one of the window’s major unresolved threads. Arsenal, meanwhile, retain an interest in England defender Ezri Konsa, another cornerstone of Emery’s project who could yet be dragged into the financial equation.

So Villa stand at a crossroads. Al-Hilal are expected to return with an improved offer for Watkins. The money will test their resolve. The project demands they stay competitive.

How far are Villa prepared to bend their squad to the numbers – and how much of their core can they afford to lose before the whole Emery blueprint starts to creak?