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Watkins apologised for refusing to play - Emery

Ollie Watkins is leaving Aston Villa as their record Premier League goalscorer.

Watkins apologised for refusing to play - Emery

Manager Unai Emery paid tribute to departing Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who apologized for refusing to play against Brighton. The 30-year-old is set to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia for £51m, with Villa preparing to sign Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson for £65m. Emery praised Watkins' behavior during his time at Villa and accepted his apology for missing the match.

The England forward is the club's record Premier League scorer with 91 goals. Emery urged fans to support the club's rebuilding efforts, emphasizing the need to sell some key players. Midfielder Leon Goretzka joined Villa on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, bringing his Champions League-winning experience.

Written by urgent.news from BBC Sport Football's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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