Ollie Watkins Apologizes as Aston Villa Faces Change

Unai Emery revealed that Ollie Watkins apologised to his Aston Villa team-mates for refusing to play on Sunday, as the head coach delivered a heartfelt farewell to the club’s departing record scorer.

Watkins, 30, is expected to land in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete a £51m move to Al-Hilal, drawing a line under a prolific four-year spell in Birmingham. Villa, in turn, are closing in on Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson in a £65m deal as his direct replacement.

Emery’s emotional goodbye

Watkins sat out the weekend clash with Brighton after making himself unavailable, a decision that jarred with the image of a player long viewed as one of the dressing room’s leaders. Emery made it clear the issue has been put to bed.

“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.

His tone then shifted from stern to sentimental.

“His commitment and his behaviour was fantastic. 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.”

Watkins leaves as Villa’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League era, with 91 league goals and 108 in all competitions since arriving from Brentford for £28m in 2020. His numbers, and his influence, have defined Villa’s rise under Emery.

But sentiment does not stop the cycle. Emery knows that.

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

Jackson in, Watkins out

Villa have agreed a deal with Chelsea for Senegal international Jackson and are racing the clock to have him registered in time for Monday night’s home game against Arsenal.

Jackson, 23, is being asked to step into the void left by one of the club’s modern greats at the peak of Villa’s resurgence. It is a bold, expensive call. Emery is fully behind it.

Watkins’ exit continues a summer of churn at Villa Park, with several experienced figures leaving after the club’s impressive 2025-26 campaign. The head coach, though, is adamant there is a clear plan, even if it means saying goodbye to fan favourites.

“We took decisions because it's good for the club,” he said. “Of course, we don't want to be a club that sells players, but the responsibility is there. It's crazy [money for someone] 30 years old and £50m for Ezri Konsa [who is 28].

“How we developed in the last year with some players and how we can sell some players now is completely the right decision.

“We have to rebuild the team as fast as possible. [Fans] have to accept our way and why we are taking some decisions.”

Goretzka brings a winner’s edge

Part of that rebuild is already in the building. Leon Goretzka completed his free transfer to Villa on Thursday after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season.

The German midfielder arrives with a heavyweight CV: seven Bundesliga titles and a Champions League crown from his time in Bavaria. Emery sounded genuinely energised by the addition.

“He is a winner. He is a very competitive player – a good player to add into our squad,” said the Spaniard. “He is versatile and arrives fit and training well. Hopefully on Monday he can be on the field.”

Watkins heads for Saudi Arabia with records, goals and a manager’s “small tears” behind him. Villa, reshaped and retooled, now walk into Arsenal at Villa Park with Jackson and Goretzka asked to show that this painful evolution really is the right decision.