Ollie Watkins leaves Aston Villa for Al Hilal on three-year deal

Ollie Watkins has completed his move from Aston Villa to Al Hilal, ending a six-year spell in which he became the club’s record Premier League goalscorer.

Al Hilal confirmed the signing on Sunday, with the England striker joining the Saudi Pro League club on a three-year contract. Aston Villa have not disclosed the financial terms of the transfer, but Reuters reported that British media have put the fee at around £51m.

The move closes one of the defining modern Villa careers. Watkins arrived from Brentford in 2020 and developed from a Championship-level finisher into one of the Premier League’s most consistent centre-forwards, scoring 91 league goals and 108 in all competitions for the club.

His departure is significant not only because of the numbers, but because of what he represented in Villa’s rise under Unai Emery. Watkins was the fixed point of the attack through Villa’s return to European relevance, combining durability, pressing and penalty-box movement with a level of output that made him central to the team’s identity.

Last season reinforced that status. Watkins scored 21 goals in all competitions, including five in Europe, as Villa pushed through one of the most successful periods in the club’s recent history. Losing him now removes the most reliable scoring reference from Emery’s squad before the new campaign has settled.

For Al Hilal, the signing adds a Premier League-proven striker still capable of leading a forward line rather than a late-career name arriving only for profile. Watkins brings movement in behind, work rate without the ball and experience at international level with England.

For Villa, the transfer continues a wider reshaping of the squad after a summer of major departures. Selling Watkins for a reported fee in the region of £51m gives the club a significant financial return on a player signed from Brentford for £28m, but it also leaves a sporting gap that cannot be measured only by the fee.

The next question is how Emery rebuilds the attack without the forward who had become Villa’s clearest route to goals. Watkins’ exit is official; the harder part for Villa is replacing the reliability he leaves behind.