Ollie Watkins Leaves Aston Villa as Record Goalscorer

Ollie Watkins is set to leave Aston Villa, where he has become the club's record Premier League goalscorer, as he prepares for a £51 million transfer to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Manager Unai Emery noted that Watkins apologized for not participating in the recent match against Brighton, and he expressed admiration for the striker's contributions during his time at the club. Watkins scored 91 goals in the Premier League and a total of 108 goals in all competitions since joining from Brentford for £28 million in 2020.

As part of the team's restructuring, Villa is finalizing the acquisition of Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson for £65 million as Watkins' replacement. Emery emphasized the necessity of these changes for the club's future and mentioned the recent signing of midfielder Leon Goretzka on a free transfer from Bayern Munich.