Ollie Watkins Apologizes as He Prepares to Leave Aston Villa

Unai Emery says Ollie Watkins apologised to the Aston Villa squad for refusing to play on Sunday – and admitted their farewell ended in “small tears” as the club’s record Premier League scorer prepares to leave for Saudi Arabia.

Watkins, 30, is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete a £51m move to Al-Hilal, drawing a line under a prolific four-year spell at Villa Park. He leaves with 91 Premier League goals for Villa and 108 in all competitions since arriving from Brentford for £28m in 2020.

The England striker made himself unavailable for the game against Brighton, a decision Emery said Watkins has now owned.

“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.

The Spaniard was quick to frame that flashpoint as the exception in an otherwise exemplary stint.

“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.”

Watkins’ exit, though, is not the end of the story. It is the trigger for the next phase.

“Now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson,” Emery added.

Jackson, 23, is set to arrive from Chelsea in a £65m deal as Villa move aggressively to replace their outgoing talisman. The club have agreed a fee and are working to ensure the Senegal forward is registered in time for Monday night’s home clash with Arsenal.

Watkins is the latest senior figure to depart after a successful 2025-26 campaign, and the churn has tested supporters’ nerves. Emery, however, stood firmly behind the club’s strategy and the scale of the offers on the table.

“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].

“How we developed in the last year with some players and how we can sell some players now is completely the right decision.

“We have to rebuild the team as fast as possible. [Fans] have to accept our way and why we are taking some decisions.”

That rebuild is already taking shape in midfield. Leon Goretzka completed his free-transfer move to Villa on Thursday after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, bringing heavyweight pedigree into Emery’s dressing room.

The Germany international arrives with seven Bundesliga titles and a Champions League winner’s medal from his time in Munich, a serial champion dropped into a squad that now needs fresh leaders.

“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.”

Watkins heads for a lucrative new life, Jackson races to be ready, and Goretzka steps into the Premier League. Villa’s new chapter is not waiting for anyone.