Aston Villa's Watkins Apologized For Refusing To Play, Emery Says

BIRMINGHAM, England —

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said Ollie Watkins apologized to him and his teammates for refusing to play against Brighton on Sunday, as the striker prepares to leave the club for Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal.

According to Yahoo Sports, Emery said Watkins apologized to him and the team after the Brighton match and admitted he had made a mistake. Emery said the squad accepted the apology.

Watkins, 30, is expected in Saudi Arabia on Friday to finalize a transfer worth roughly $65 million (£51 million), Yahoo Sports reported. He is Villa's all-time leading scorer in the Premier League with 91 goals and has scored 108 across all competitions since joining from Brentford for about $36 million (£28 million) in 2020.

Emery described an emotional farewell with the forward. "His commitment and his behavior was fantastic," he said. "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 Guardian reported that Emery described the moment as sharing "a small cry" with Watkins.

Jackson set to replace him

Villa are working to complete a deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson worth about $83 million (£65 million) and hope to have him registered in time for Monday's home game against Arsenal, according to Yahoo Sports. "But now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson," Emery said.

Watkins is the latest experienced player to leave Villa this summer, following the roughly $64 million (£50 million) sale of defender Ezri Konsa, 28. Emery defended the club's approach and asked supporters to stay patient.

Emery said Aston Villa doesn't want to be a club that sells its best players, but acknowledged the financial responsibility involved. He called the Watkins fee "crazy money for someone 30 years old" and noted that Konsa's sale brought in $64 million (£50 million). Emery said the club's recent player development justified selling now, that the team needs to be rebuilt quickly, and that fans need to accept the decisions being made.

New arrival from Bayern

As part of that rebuild, midfielder Leon Goretzka joined Villa on a free transfer Thursday after leaving Bayern Munich, where he won seven Bundesliga titles and the Champions League, according to Yahoo Sports.

"He is a winner. He is a very competitive player, a good player to add into our squad," Emery said. "He is versatile and arrives fit and training well. Hopefully on Monday he can be on the field."