Al Hilal Negotiates for Ollie Watkins Amid Aston Villa Turmoil
Al Hilal have opened negotiations with Aston Villa over a move for striker Ollie Watkins, with the Saudi club pushing hard to land one of the Premier League’s most reliable goalscorers.
One bid has already been rejected, but talks are still alive as both clubs explore what it would take to get a deal done. Villa are standing firm. Al Hilal are not walking away.
Watkins at the centre of a Saudi reshuffle
Watkins has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Karim Benzema, whose short spell at Al Hilal is in danger of ending far earlier than planned. The club are working on a solution to the French forward’s contract that would allow him to leave, just months after he arrived from Al Ittihad in February on an 18‑month deal.
Benzema’s numbers were strong: 10 goals in 15 games in his first half-season in Riyadh. The uncertainty now surrounding his future has forced Al Hilal back into the market, and their attention has locked onto Villa’s No 9.
They are not chasing a gamble. Watkins is coming off a standout campaign, scoring 16 league goals as he drove Aston Villa to Europa League glory and another season of Champions League football. His form earned him a place in England’s 2026 World Cup squad, underlining his rise into the top bracket of European forwards.
Since arriving from Brentford in 2020, the 30-year-old has become the heartbeat of Villa’s attack, passing the 100-goal mark for the club and evolving into Unai Emery’s reference point in the final third. Losing him now, with the season about to start, would rip a hole straight through Villa’s plans.
Villa’s summer storm
Villa’s window has already felt turbulent. The mood around pre-season darkened early with the departures of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, stripping Emery of two important squad options before a ball had even been kicked.
Then came a flicker of optimism.
A bold display against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final briefly changed the tone. New signing Joao Gomes looked sharp, 17-year-old Brian Madjo played without fear, and both again showed why Emery has been so keen to fast-track them into senior contention. The result went PSG’s way, but Villa walked away with credit and a sense that the squad still had bite.
That hope did not last long. Reports of injuries to both Gomes and Madjo have hit just as Villa close in on their Premier League opener against Brighton. They now join Amadou Onana and new signing Johan Manzambi on the treatment table, leaving Emery with a growing list of absentees at the worst possible moment.
All of which throws the Watkins situation into even sharper focus. With key players already sidelined and the season’s first whistle looming, how much risk can Villa afford to take with their main striker while Saudi money knocks loudly at the door?
