Aston Villa have reportedly rejected another bid from Al Hilal for Ollie Watkins, who is said to have now made it clear that he wishes to leave the club this summer.
The 30-year-old has been a talismanic figure leading the line for Villa since he arrived in 2020, and has been particularly important in our success under Unai Emery with his goals, creativity, work ethic and quality in the final third.
Losing him would be a blow, particularly with so many other high-profile exits already this summer, but it certainly sounds as though that is the direction in which we’re heading with the England international.
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According to The Athletic, Villa have now rejected a fresh offer from Al Hilal worth £45m, but it’s added that the Saudi club are intent on continuing their pursuit of Watkins, and so an improved bid is likely to arrive.
Importantly though, it’s also stressed that Watkins has made it clear that he wants to leave, and although Unai Emery wishes to keep him at Villa, with the club offering him a new contract to try and secure his future until 2030, it seems increasingly likely that Watkins will leave in the coming days or weeks.
It’s a disappointing development to hear that our frontman wants to move on, but much like his ex-teammates who have already sealed switches elsewhere, if Villa are willing to sanction the move and are both happy with the fee and in finding a replacement, it’s time to allow him to move on and continue our rebuild.
This is likely to be the highest fee that we will receive for Watkins given his age and current contract with two years remaining on it, and so financially, it would make a lot of sense, but naturally losing the goal involvements that he has provided over multiple seasons will be hugely difficult to replace, and so it’s imperative that we identify the right successor.
Speculation continues to pair us with an interest in Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, a player that Emery knows well from their time working together at Villarreal, and so it remains to be seen if he will be the answer should Watkins get his desired move ahead of the transfer deadline.