Watkins omitted for Brighton as Al-Hilal bids rebuffed ahead of transfer deadline
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins was left out of Unai Emery's squad for their Premier League opener at Brighton on Sunday, a selection decision that came amid mounting interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal as the transfer deadline approaches. Villa lost 4-0 at Brighton, conceding all four goals inside the opening 31 minutes and seeing debutant Joao Gomes sent off.
Villa have dealt with similar fallout before: last year Emi Martinez sought a move to Manchester United and Emery repeatedly named replacement Marco Bizot when asked about Martinez's absence from the season opener against Crystal Palace. When Sky Sports asked Emery on Friday why Watkins was not included at Brighton he replied, "This question is for him. I can answer only with my silence."
Al-Hilal have had four offers rejected for Watkins and have offered close to £40m, but those bids are not near Aston Villa's asking price. The club are preparing to hold firm as next Tuesday's transfer deadline nears, even though Emery revealed last week the striker could leave and a deal is still believed to be some way off.
There are complications in any move: Al-Hilal signed Crysensio Summerville from West Ham in July and are likely to need to move one of their overseas players to make room for Watkins, despite loaning Darwin Nunez to Diriyah last week. Watkins has been training on his own after returning from an extended break following the World Cup and is understood to have made his feelings clear to the Villa hierarchy about moving.
Watkins has 108 goals in 278 games for Villa after joining from Brentford for a then-record £28m, and the triumphant night in Istanbul when he helped Villa beat Freiburg to win the Europa League currently stands to be his last game for the club. Another question for the club is whether they view the Saudi money for a striker turning 31 in December — and who had been in and out of Emery's team last season — as an acceptable deal.
Villa must also resolve Emi Martinez's future after a second summer of discontent; a move to Juventus fell through earlier this month as they were unwilling to meet Villa's financial demands and the club's signing of Zion Suzuki makes him the number one. Replacing Watkins would be harder than sourcing Ezri Konsa's successor: Villa have already had two bids rejected by Southampton for Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Brian Madjo's availability, after Villa won their battle against Fifa to register him, gives Emery an additional option, although at 17 the striker cannot be expected to carry the burden. The club have been open to letting Tammy Abraham leave, but Watkins' increasingly likely departure will affect that thinking; Abraham joined from Besiktas in January, has not been looking for any Villa Park exit and remains happy at the club. Nicolas Jackson remains a top target for Emery, who worked with the Chelsea forward at Villarreal, while there has been no direct contact with Manchester United over Joshua Zirkzee.
Emery also faces filling the gaps left by the exits of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans — two Istanbul goalscorers — along with Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa, but if Watkins goes his departure would cut the deepest. As next Tuesday's transfer deadline nears, Villa are set to take a hard line over their all-time record Premier League goalscorer.
