Unai Emery Discusses Watkins' Apology as Aston Villa Welcomes Nicolas Jackson

Unai Emery cut a conflicted figure as he said goodbye to Ollie Watkins – the striker who refused to play at the weekend, then said sorry, and is now heading out of the club as a modern Aston Villa great.

Watkins, Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer, has apologised to Emery and his team-mates after making himself unavailable for Sunday’s game against Brighton. The 30-year-old is expected in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete a £51m move to Al-Hilal.

Emery confirmed the forward addressed the squad in the aftermath of the incident.

“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 apology closed an awkward final chapter in what has otherwise been a hugely successful spell. Signed from Brentford for £28m in 2020, Watkins has grown into the face of Villa’s attack, scoring 91 Premier League goals and 108 in all competitions – numbers that place him firmly in club history.

Emery made a point of separating one bad decision from four years of service.

“His commitment and his behaviour was fantastic,” the Villa manager said. “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.”

The emotion underlined just how central Watkins has been to Villa’s resurgence, but the club has already moved to reshape the forward line. Villa are poised to finalise a £65m deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson as Watkins’ replacement.

For Emery, the sentiment stops at the training ground door.

“But now it’s a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson,” he said.

Watkins leaves with records, goals and a rare public misstep. Jackson arrives with a price tag, expectation and a clear message: the goodbye has been said, the space at the top of Villa’s attack is his to claim.