Saudi Arabia bound! Al-Hilal close in on £50m-plus agreement for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins as Nicolas Jackson arrival paves the way

According to The Athletic, Al-Hilal are close to finalising a major deal with Aston Villa for Watkins, structured around an initial £50m fee alongside performance-related add-ons. The Saudi Pro League side expect the forward to travel shortly for his medical before signing a three-year contract in Riyadh.

The move guarantees Villa a substantial return on their investment after signing him from Brentford in 2020 for a then club-record £28m plus £5m in add-ons. Across 278 appearances in all competitions for the West Midlands club, Watkins registered 108 goals and 47 assists - establishing himself as a frontline Premier League goalscorer and an England international.

Villa paved the way for Watkins' departure by quickly securing his replacement, agreeing a £65m total package with Chelsea for Nicolas Jackson earlier on Wednesday.

Watkins had already been left out of Villa's 4-0 opening-day defeat to Brighton, and despite returning to training on Monday and apologising to team-mates for the ongoing uncertainty, his exit from Villa Park appeared increasingly inevitable.

Throughout the saga, Emery has been open about the challenges of handling a key player seeking a new challenge. Following the heavy opening-day defeat to Brighton, the Villa boss initially dodged questions regarding the forward's future, stating that the matter was 'for him and his agent,' before adding: 'I can answer only with my silence.'

Nevertheless, Emery later expanded on the club's position regarding the England striker, acknowledging that the scenario depended on market developments. Speaking prior to the Brighton match, the Spaniard conceded that Villa 'have an issue with him,' while detailing the club's stance: 'We have offers for him. He’s our player, I don’t want to sell him, but that can change because if it’s a good option for him, good option for the club and I can replace him, this is the routine we have.'

Watkins missed just a single game for Villa last season, racking up 55 appearances, 21 goals, and five assists to help Emery's side lift the Europa League trophy. While the club remained desperate to retain their star forward - offering an extension through to 2030 to replace his current deal expiring in 2028 - the England international turned down all informal approaches, signalling his intent to seek a new challenge.

Even with Jackson's arrival imminent, Villa face a shortage in attack. Tammy Abraham is sidelined for the start of the campaign through injury, while 17-year-old Brian Madjo will also remain out until at least September - a depth issue highlighted when midfielder Ross Barkley was deployed as a makeshift No 9 against Brighton.