Ollie Watkins has completed his £50 million transfer from Aston Villa to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, bringing his six-year spell at Villa Park to an end.
The England international scored 108 goals in 278 appearances for Villa across all competitions.
Watkins’ final appearance came in May, when he helped Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to end the club’s 44-year wait for a European trophy.
In a farewell message on Instagram, Watkins thanked Villa supporters for their backing throughout his time at the club.
“Six amazing years has come to an end. Thank you for the amazing memories and always supporting me through highs and lows,” he wrote.
“Saying goodbye is never easy to this club as it’s been a massive part of my life on and off the pitch.”
Villa manager Unai Emery also paid tribute to Watkins, saying the striker apologised after making a mistake following the team’s match against Brighton.
“He made a mistake. He always had good behaviour in the club and with me. He’s a fantastic guy,” Emery said.
“I told him ‘bye’, with a huge hug and a small cry.”
Villa have already moved to replace Watkins by signing Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a club-record fee that could rise to £65 million.
Meanwhile, Exeter City are expecting to receive a payment from Watkins’ transfer to Al Hilal.
Watkins came through Exeter’s academy and made 78 appearances for the club before joining Brentford in 2017. Exeter said it is entitled to a payment under FIFA’s solidarity mechanism, which rewards clubs involved in developing players between the ages of 12 and 23.
The League Two club said the payment process involves Exeter, Brentford, Aston Villa and Al Hilal and is subject to confidentiality agreements.
Exeter added that it does not expect to receive any payment before the end of the current transfer window and that the money, when received, will be used to strengthen the club’s long-term financial security.
Villa are also close to signing Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis in a £30 million deal.
The agreement includes a guaranteed £25 million fee plus £5 million in add-ons, with the final details still being completed.
The 24-year-old has made 134 appearances for Southampton since joining from Manchester City. He has also earned one England cap, which came in 2024.
Harwood-Bellis is expected to help fill the defensive gap created by Ezri Konsa’s move to Arsenal earlier this summer.
