Unai Emery Bids Emotional Farewell as Ollie Watkins Leaves Aston Villa for Al-Hilal

Unai Emery Confirms Watkins Departure and Apology

Speaking in a news conference reported by the BBC, Unai Emery revealed that Watkins apologized for making himself unavailable for selection ahead of Aston Villa’s match against Brighton. Emery stated that he and the squad accepted the apology from the club’s record Premier League scorer.

“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 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 Villa Park having scored 91 Premier League goals, contributing to an overall tally of 108 goals in all competitions since arriving from Brentford for £28m in 2020.

Nicolas Jackson Arrives as Replacement

To offset the departure of their forward, Aston Villa agreed on a deal to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea. According to the BBC, Villa is working to register the Senegal striker in time for Monday’s visit of Arsenal.

Emery urged supporters to back the club’s transfer strategy following a summer that has seen multiple experienced figures leave the squad following their successful 2025-26 campaign. Alongside the sale of Watkins, Villa also sanctioned a £50m departure for 28-year-old Ezri Konsa.

“We took decisions because it’s good for the club,” Emery 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… We have to rebuild the team as fast as possible. [Fans] have to accept our way and why we are taking some decisions.”

Midfield Reinforcement With Leon Goretzka

As part of the ongoing squad rebuild, Aston Villa added experience to their midfield. Leon Goretzka completed a move to the club on a free transfer after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season.

Goretzka brings a decorated resume to Villa Park, having won seven Bundesliga titles and the Champions League during his tenure in Germany. Emery expressed confidence in the new signing’s ability to impact the squad immediately.

“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.”