Al-Hilal closing in on Watkins - Thursday's gossip
Al-Hilal close in on a £50m deal for Ollie Watkins, Chelsea line up Bournemouth's Alex Scott, Sunderland make a loan offer for Jack Grealish, plus more.
Aston Villa and Al-Hilal have reached a £51.7 million agreement for the transfer of striker Ollie Watkins. According to transfer reports, the Saudi Arabian club will pay an initial fee of £50 million, with an additional £1.7 million payable in add-ons. Watkins, who has expressed his desire to join Al-Hilal, agreed to personal terms before a transfer fee was settled.
Initially, Villa was resistant to selling the player, but they later adjusted their stance and began exploring alternatives, such as Jean-Philippe Mateta and Christian Kofane. Watkins missed Villa's opening match of the 2026-27 season and has since returned to training, apologizing to his teammates. The Senegal international Nicolas Jackson is set to replace Watkins upon his arrival in Al-Hilal, with Villa aiming to strengthen their roster with a new signing from Chelsea.
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