Ollie Watkins completes £51m transfer from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal

The transfer

Ollie Watkins has completed his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal from Aston Villa on a three-year deal. The transfer fee is £51m, according to both BBC Sport and The Guardian. The 30-year-old England forward was announced on Sunday, August 30, 2026.

His record at Villa

Watkins departs Villa as the club’s all-time record scorer in the Premier League with 91 goals. In total, he scored 108 goals in all competitions across his six seasons at the club after joining from Brentford for £28m in 2020. Last season, he scored 21 goals in all competitions, including five goals in the Europa League as Villa won the competition — their first European trophy in 44 years.

During his time at Villa, the club established itself under manager Unai Emery as a regular top-six challenger in the Premier League. Watkins posted on social media after the move: “With that being said, I am eternally grateful for the last six years. Not only has it shaped me as a player, but as a person.” He also noted: “My two children were born here, and to see them walk on to the pitch and see you fans sing my name in front of them and my family is something that will always stay with me forever.”

Circumstances of the exit

Watkins made himself unavailable for Villa’s Premier League opener against Brighton last weekend, which the club lost 4-0. Manager Unai Emery disclosed that Watkins apologised for the absence. According to The Guardian, Watkins still had two years remaining on his Villa contract when he departed. Emery told reporters he had “small tears” as he said goodbye to the player, describing him as “fantastic.”

Al-Hilal and Villa’s summer activity

At Al-Hilal, Watkins joins Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville, who left West Ham after their relegation from the Premier League. The transfer is one of several exits at Villa this summer. According to both sources, the club has also lost Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Martínez (to Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (to Arsenal), Youri Tielemans (to Manchester United), and Lucas Digne. In their own moves, Villa have signed Nicolas Jackson from Bayern Munich for £65m to replace Watkins and are closing in on a £29m deal for Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Sources

• Yahoo Sports — Villa's Watkins joins Al Hilal 'with a heavy heart' · Ollie Watkins completes big money Al Hilal move ‘with a heavy heart’
• BBC Sport
• The Guardian

Featured photo: Bryan Berlin via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)