According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa striker Watkins, who did not travel with the team to Brighton, is now set to transfer to Al-Hilal for approximately £50 million.
The England striker clarified his position to his teammates on Monday. The rift between him and the club and fans likely began more than 18 months ago.
In the match against Brighton, Aston Villa suffered a humiliating 0-4 defeat. Watkins, the only healthy and recognized striker in the team at the time, was not included in the squad. After the game, the conflict between the two sides became public, and fans also turned their anger towards him. This seemingly sudden conflict was actually foreshadowed.
The Daily Mail outlined the events and analyzed Villa's trajectory after Watkins' departure.
Sometime last week, Watkins had a conversation with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery. Emery believed after the meeting that the 30-year-old striker was eager to join Al-Hilal and willing to do everything in his power to make the transfer happen.
Watkins missed training last week while awaiting an offer from Aston Villa. Al-Hilal did not submit an offer that met Villa's demands. Emery, after confirming Watkins' unwillingness to participate in pre-match preparations, did not include him in the squad for the Brighton game. With both Abraham and Bryan Maggio injured, Villa suffered a heavy defeat without a reliable striker. Emery did not defend Watkins in the post-match interview, leading to the player subsequently being subjected to online harassment from fans.
The story dates back to Boxing Day in 2024, a turning point in the relationship between Villa and Watkins. In the three league matches prior to that, Emery consistently started the attacking John Durand, who scored in all three games.
Ahead of the away game against Newcastle United, Duran appeared to have secured his place as the starting striker. Aston Villa knew Arsenal were looking for a striker, and Watkins had been an Arsenal fan since childhood.
Durand was subsequently sent off with a straight red card in the match against Newcastle. After serving his suspension, Emery believed that his form and attitude were insufficient to regain a starting position. Al-Nassr offered £70 million for Durand, and Aston Villa decided to cut their losses and offload the difficult-to-manage player.
Aston Villa were unwilling to let two strikers leave in the same transfer window. Arsenal's offer never met Villa's £65 million asking price, and Watkins missed out on joining his desired club. He was very disappointed at the time, while Emery said: "We need him now, just as he needed Aston Villa back then."
This summer, Emery has already lost Tielemans, Morgan Rodgers, Lucas Hernandez and Konsa, and he hopes that several veterans can stay with the team to start a new era together.
Normally, the Spanish coach wouldn't forcefully stop a player from leaving if they insisted on doing so, but this time his attitude was more personal.
Watkins is the top client of Two Touch, an agency run by former Arsenal youngster Paulo Vernazza. Watkins' move to Al-Hilal is likely to be one of the agency's biggest deals. Aston Villa are reportedly very unhappy with Vernazza's handling of the situation. Given the chance, Vernazza might choose a different approach. The Daily Mail has made several attempts to contact the 46-year-old agent since Sunday, but he has yet to respond.
Watkins earns slightly over £100,000 a week at Aston Villa, while Al-Hilal offers significantly more. Konsa joined Arsenal this summer for around £50 million, roughly the same price Villa are asking for Watkins. Watkins will turn 31 in December, so it's understandable if he thinks Villa's asking price is too high for his age. Villa, however, clearly don't see it that way.
Under Emery, Watkins has developed into one of Europe's top strikers. Emery has always trusted him, and Watkins has repaid him with his performances: he scored 12 goals in 13 games at the end of last season, earning him a place in England's World Cup squad.
With two strikers injured, Emery should have needed Watkins to play against Brighton. In a pre-match interview, he was already visibly angry. When Sky Sports reporter Johnny Phillips asked about Watkins' absence, Emery simply said in a low voice, "Quiet!" For Emery, the less he says, the angrier he often is.
The match was played at the Amex Stadium, and Emery was tense throughout, arguing with the fourth official more frequently than usual and showing considerable impatience with the opposing bench. After the final whistle, he went straight back to the players' tunnel without shaking hands with Brighton manager Fabian Schürlzer. While the two weren't particularly close, this reaction still spoke volumes.
A year ago, Emiliano Martinez also seemed poised to end his Villa career. He was eager to join Manchester United or Atletico Madrid and was left out of the squad for the home defeat to Crystal Palace.
The goalkeeper, who focused on his game and improved his attitude last season, helping Aston Villa win the Europa League title, is still seeking a departure. Watkins' situation, however, has become increasingly difficult to salvage since Sunday.
Regardless of what the future holds, Watkins will have to put in a tremendous effort to regain the support of Aston Villa fans. In fact, signs of a decline in his form were already evident last season. Completing the transfer now might not be a bad thing for either party.
If Nicola Jacson joins, Aston Villa will acquire a promising and prolific striker. Unai Emery, who coached him at Villarreal, greatly admires him. Villa have also inquired with Bayer Leverkusen about 20-year-old striker Christian Cofane, but Leverkusen are currently unwilling to let him go.
In any case, Aston Villa need to finalize Watkins' future before their home game against Arsenal next Monday.
