Ollie Watkins Apologizes to Aston Villa Squad After Brighton Incident

Unai Emery has revealed that Ollie Watkins apologised to the Aston Villa squad for refusing to play on Sunday, as the manager delivered a heartfelt farewell to the club’s departing record scorer.

Watkins made himself unavailable for the game against Brighton, days before his expected £51m move to Al-Hilal, but Emery insisted the striker’s regret was genuine and accepted within the dressing room.

“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, underlining that one moment would not define Watkins’ four years at Villa Park.

The numbers tell their own story. Watkins leaves as Villa’s all-time leading Premier League scorer with 91 goals, and 108 in all competitions, after arriving from Brentford for £28m in 2020. He grew with the club, from mid-table uncertainty to Champions League qualification, and became a central figure in Emery’s high-intensity, front-foot side.

Personal Goodbye

For Emery, the goodbye was personal.

“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,” the Spaniard admitted, painting a picture of a manager losing not just a forward, but a dressing-room pillar.

Watkins, 30, is expected in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete his move to Al-Hilal, as Villa move quickly to reshape their attack.

A new focal point is already lined up. Villa are poised to finalise the £65m signing of Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, with Emery framing the deal as the start of another cycle rather than the end of one.

“But now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson,” he said.

Watkins exits as a modern Villa great. Jackson walks into a void heavy with goals, expectation and emotion.