Is Ollie Watkins going to leave Aston Villa? Unai Emery responds after 4-0 defeat against Brighton

Ollie Watkins’ Aston Villa future has been thrown into serious doubt after he was omitted from Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at Brighton, amid reports that the striker is pushing for a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

Watkins was left out of Villa’s squad for their Premier League opener as speculation surrounding his future intensified.

The 30-year-old has reportedly agreed personal terms with Al-Hilal and is understood to be keen on making the move, although no agreement has yet been reached between the clubs.

Al-Hilal have reportedly seen four bids rejected by Villa, with the latest offer understood to have been worth around £45m. A further proposal in the region of £50m is now reportedly expected, with that figure potentially enough to convince Villa to sanction the sale.

Those claims remain unconfirmed by Aston Villa, but Watkins’ absence from the squad at Brighton has inevitably added to the speculation.

Asked whether leaving Watkins out was his decision, Villa boss Unai Emery was unwilling to provide a definitive explanation.

“This question is for him. You can call him and try to get his answer,” Emery said following his side’s defeat on the south coast.

“The players here wanted to play and we had two strikers with a small injury. The question on Watkins is for him.”

The situation was made even more striking by Villa’s performance at the Amex, where they suffered a 4-0 thrashing in their opening Premier League fixture.

With Watkins absent and Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham unavailable, Emery was forced to use Emiliano Buendia in a false-nine role as Villa endured a miserable afternoon.

Captain John McGinn acknowledged the difficulty surrounding the situation while praising Watkins’ contribution to the club.

“It’s a difficult one. He’s been an amazing player and a record goalscorer – my job as captain is to get the best out of all the players that are here today,” McGinn said.

“It’s not easy coming here. I’m proud of the players that were here today and fought for the club.”

Watkins latest in Villa’s summer of change

Watkins potentially leaving would represent another huge change for a Villa side that has already seen several members of its Europa League-winning team depart.

Villa ended a 30-year wait for a trophy by beating Freiburg in the Europa League final in May, but the squad has subsequently undergone significant surgery.

Ezri Konsa’s move to Arsenal is the latest high-profile exit, while Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers have also left.

Lucas Digne has moved to Paris St-Germain, while Emi Martinez was absent against Brighton following the collapse of his proposed move to Juventus.

Villa have already signed Zion Suzuki as a potential replacement in goal.

Should Martinez also depart, only Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Victor Lindelof, McGinn and Emi Buendia would remain from the XI that started the Europa League final in Istanbul.

Watkins’ departure would therefore remove another key figure from the side that delivered Villa their first trophy in three decades.

The forward has been one of the most important players of Emery’s reign and is Villa’s record goalscorer, making the uncertainty around his future particularly significant.

Why would Villa sell Watkins?

Villa’s willingness to consider a major sale has to be viewed against the club’s financial position.

UEFA’s squad cost ratio restricts clubs to spending 70% of their football-related revenue on player and staff wages, transfer fees and agent fees.

Villa have already been punished twice by UEFA for breaches, receiving a £9.5m sanction last year and a £19.4m fine in June. However, £12.9m of the latter was suspended after Villa reached a settlement agreement with European football’s governing body.

The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules also previously restricted Villa’s spending, with clubs allowed to record a maximum £105m loss over a rolling three-year period.

Villa’s latest accounts, covering the year to 30 June 2025, showed a post-tax profit of £17m, although that followed losses of £119.6m in 2023 and £85.4m in 2024.

The regulations have now been replaced by the squad cost ratio system, bringing the Premier League closer into line with UEFA.

Villa had already raised just over £200m through the sales of Jhon Duran (£71m), Douglas Luiz (£42.5m), Jacob Ramsey (£40m) and Moussa Diaby (£50m) across the previous two years.

With Konsa’s departure completed, the club have banked around £212m in sales during this summer, including £9m for Lewis Dobbin despite the forward never making a senior appearance for Villa.

Rogers’ £117m move to Chelsea was particularly important in helping Villa comply with UEFA’s financial regulations.

The club’s plan requires them to break even in 2026-27, while their run to the Champions League quarter-finals last season generated close to £70m.

Winning the Europa League has also guaranteed Villa around £45.6m, including the minimum earnings from qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Emery’s latest Villa rebuild

Despite the upheaval, Emery remains central to Villa’s plans.

The Spaniard inherited the club when they were 14th following Steven Gerrard’s departure and has since guided them into the Champions League and to Europa League glory.

Villa also pushed Paris St-Germain close in their Super Cup defeat in Salzburg earlier this month, demonstrating that Emery’s side can still compete against Europe’s best.

McGinn believes the continued presence of Emery gives Villa an advantage despite the changes elsewhere.

“We have a structure in place, standards and rules which have made us a success. I am really excited about the new Aston Villa,” he said.

The club’s recruitment strategy has also shifted towards younger players.

Roberto Olabe replaced Monchi as president of football operations last September and has been given a long-to-medium-term mandate over transfers.

Joao Gomes, 25, was sent off on his Premier League debut against Brighton, while 23-year-old goalkeeper Suzuki and 24-year-old defender Matteo Ruggeri were among the summer arrivals.

They followed 20-year-old Johan Manzambi, who became Villa’s record signing in July.

Villa have also had an £18m bid rejected for 24-year-old Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

The loan signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea, with an obligation to buy, allows Villa to spread the cost of the deal, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka is expected to arrive from West Ham on a similar arrangement.

“The problem is they may now be at the end of a chain of transfer deals, with the players involved and their transfer targets dependent on other moves happening first,” the former Villa decision-maker said.

One of the more encouraging developments has been 17-year-old Brian Madjo, who Villa successfully registered after winning a battle with FIFA earlier this month.

The striker scored on his debut against PSG, eight months after initially joining from Metz for £10m, and could prove to be one of the surprise players of the season.

Will Ollie Watkins leave Aston Villa?

For Villa, the Watkins situation now appears to be heading towards a potentially decisive stage.

Reports that the striker has agreed personal terms with Al-Hilal and wants the move have increased the pressure on the club, while four rejected bids demonstrate that Villa have so far resisted the Saudi club’s advances.

A fresh offer of around £50m has been mooted as the figure that could finally change Villa’s position, although that remains speculative and there is currently no confirmed agreement between the clubs.

Emery has previously indicated that Watkins could leave if the right conditions are met, particularly if Villa can find a suitable replacement.

For a player who has become Villa’s record goalscorer and a central figure in their transformation under Emery, his potential departure would represent one of the biggest changes yet.

After the 4-0 defeat at Brighton, Villa have little time to resolve the situation.

The question now is whether Watkins will be leading the line for Emery again, or whether the Saudi Pro League and Al-Hilal will become his next destination before the transfer window closes.

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