Unai Emery on Ollie Watkins' Departure from Aston Villa
Unai Emery admits Ollie Watkins refused to play for Aston Villa on Sunday. He also says the club’s record Premier League scorer left with an apology, a hug and “small tears” as a £51m move to Al-Hilal looms.
Watkins, 30, is expected in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete the deal, ending a four-year spell that produced 91 Premier League goals and 108 in all competitions after his £28m arrival from Brentford in 2020.
Emery: “He was wrong, but we accepted it”
The rupture came at the weekend. Watkins made himself unavailable for the game against Brighton, a decision Emery did not hide from.
“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.
The Spaniard, who has built his Villa side around Watkins’ relentless running and ruthless finishing, chose to dwell on the bigger picture.
“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.”
Then came the pivot.
“But now it’s a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson.”
Jackson in, Watkins out
Villa have agreed a £65m deal with Chelsea for Nicolas Jackson and are racing to get the Senegal striker registered in time for Monday night’s visit of Arsenal.
Jackson will walk straight into a dressing room that has lost not just goals, but experience. Watkins is the latest senior figure to depart after a season in which Villa surged into the Premier League’s elite and made a deep impression in 2025-26.
Emery understands the unease. He also made clear the rationale.
“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].”
For Emery, those numbers are a validation of the project.
“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 pedigree
Part of that rebuild arrived on Thursday. Leon Goretzka completed a free transfer to Villa after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, adding a heavyweight midfield presence to Emery’s evolving side.
The 29-year-old brings a haul of major honours: seven Bundesliga titles and a Champions League crown from his time in Germany.
“He is a winner. He is a very competitive player – a good player to add into our squad,” Emery said. “He is versatile and arrives fit and training well. Hopefully on Monday he can be on the field.”
So Watkins goes, Jackson and Goretzka come in, and Arsenal await under the lights. Villa Park has seen heroes leave before. The question now is how quickly the new ones take root.
