Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says he said goodbye to Ollie Watkins with “a big hug and a small tear” despite feeling disappointed by the forward’s decision to make himself unavailable for the club’s opening match against Brighton.
Watkins is preparing to complete a move to Al-Hilal worth about £50m, having told Aston Villa he wanted to leave and take on a new challenge in the Roshn Saudi League. The England striker has been attracted by the substantial financial offer from the Saudi club.
The 29-year-old withdrew himself from consideration for the Brighton match despite Aston Villa being without their other forwards, Tammy Abraham and Brian Madjo, because of injuries. His decision caused frustration within the club.
Watkins later apologised to Emery and his team-mates, admitting that he had made a mistake.
Speaking at a news conference before Aston Villa’s match against Arsenal, Emery said Watkins’ commitment and behaviour had generally been excellent during his time at the club.
“Ollie Watkins’ commitment and behaviour were always excellent. Last week we could not reach an agreement that allowed him to play against Brighton, but after the match he told us he was sorry, admitted he had made a mistake and that he was wrong,” said Emery.
The Aston Villa manager said Watkins’ apology was accepted by both him and the squad, pointing to the player’s long-standing positive conduct.
“We accepted his apology, as did the players, because he has always behaved well with the club and with me. He is a great person, perhaps even better as a person than as a player. I said goodbye to him with a big hug and a small tear,” Emery added.
Although Emery acknowledged that Watkins’ conduct before the Brighton fixture had left him disappointed, he insisted that one incident could not outweigh the striker’s contribution over several seasons at Villa Park.
“I felt some disappointment, and we spoke about it. But to be clear, he is a great person, and one mistake does not erase all the good things he has done here. Ollie is a top-level player,” he said.
Watkins joined Aston Villa in 2020 and developed into one of the club’s most important attacking players. During his time in Birmingham, he established himself as a leading figure in the team’s forward line before deciding to pursue a different challenge with Al-Hilal.
His expected departure marks the beginning of a new era for Aston Villa, who have brought in Nicolas Jackson as their new striker. Emery said the club was now ready to move forward while wishing Watkins well in Saudi Arabia.
“It is a new chapter now with Nicolas Jackson. I wish Watkins all the best in Saudi Arabia. Of course, we are happy,” Emery said.
Watkins’ move to Al-Hilal would bring an end to his Aston Villa career after the final disagreement over his availability was resolved through an apology, with Emery choosing to emphasise the player’s broader contribution rather than allow the incident to define his time at the club.
