Aston Villa have rejected a £38million bid from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal for striker Ollie Watkins. The forward, who is 30 years old, has now received three separate approaches from the Saudi side, with personal terms reportedly already in place.
Watkins was not present during Villa’s pre-season training sessions and missed last week’s UEFA Super Cup clash against Paris Saint-Germain. The attacker was given extended time off following the World Cup, alongside teammates Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Martinez, whose situations remain unclear.
Villa turned down Al-Hilal’s most recent offer on Tuesday night, though the Premier League club are bracing themselves for an improved proposal. Unai Emery’s side have already lost several key players this summer, with Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne departing for a combined £159.5million.
Watkins had drawn interest from Manchester United and Arsenal during the previous year, while Turkish giants Fenerbahce expressed interest earlier this summer before opting to sign Romelu Lukaku instead. After signing a new contract in 2024, Watkins has two years left on his current deal at Villa Park.
The 30-year-old is likely to secure a significant wage boost if he moves to Al-Hilal, who are looking to move on former Liverpool attacker Darwin Nunez. The club, led by former Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi, recently completed the signing of Crysencio Summerville from West Ham in a deal potentially worth £60million.
Despite serving as England’s deputy forward to Harry Kane, Watkins made only two appearances at the World Cup. He came on for a brief 12-minute spell against Panama during the group phase before appearing in the second half of England’s third-place victory over France.
It remains uncertain whether Watkins, who found the net 21 times last season, will be available when Villa begin their Premier League season away at Brighton this Sunday. Their first home match sees them welcome Arsenal on Monday, August 31, just a day before the transfer window closes.