What’s next for Ollie Watkins and Aston Villa: TOM COLLOMOSSE reveals last week’s summit with Unai Emery… and the club’s targets to replace star striker if he goes to Saudi

Ollie Watkins’ absence from the Aston Villa team at Brighton may have been the final chapter in a story that started more than 18 months ago.

The England forward spoke to his team-mates on Monday to explain his side of the story and is now expected to complete his acrimonious move to Al Hilal for around £50million.

Once Watkins had sat out the 4-0 defeat at the Amex, despite being Villa’s only fit striker, it created a rift between the player and the club, not to mention the fans, which was going to take work to heal. But while this row might have been handled differently by both sides, it has not come from a clear blue sky.

Daily Mail Sport looks at how we got here and what life after Watkins might look like…

The Arsenal bid

At some point last week, Watkins had a discussion with Villa manager Unai Emery, who left those talks believing the 30-year-old wanted to move to Al Hilal and was prepared to go to significant lengths to ensure the deal went through.

The striker did not train last week as he waited for Villa to accept a bid. The Saudi Pro League club did not make the required offer and once he understood Watkins would not be involved in the preparation work, Emery did not consider him for the Brighton match. Without the injured Tammy Abraham and Brian Madjo, strikerless Villa were hammered and Emery did nothing in his media appearances to protect Watkins, who was then targeted by fans online.

To understand it all, we must rewind to a sliding doors moment for Villa and Watkins — Boxing Day, 2024. In the previous three league games, Emery had picked the chaotic but brilliant Jhon Duran ahead of Watkins and the Colombian scored in all three.

Heading into that match at Newcastle, it looked as though Duran had become Emery’s No 1 striker. Villa knew Arsenal were chasing a forward and had an interest in Watkins, a boyhood Gunners fan.

Then Duran was given a straight red card at Newcastle and when he completed his ban, Emery did not feel his form or attitude merited a return to the team. Al Nassr offered £70m for Duran and Villa decided to cut their losses on a player who was proving difficult to manage.

Villa were unwilling to sell both forwards in the same window and Watkins was denied his dream move to Arsenal, whose offers never hit Villa’s £65m valuation. The forward was disappointed but Emery said: ‘Now we need him, like he needed Aston Villa.’

Emery has lost Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa this summer and wanted a few senior men to stick with him to build the new era.

Usually, the Spaniard does not stand in a player’s way if he wants to depart, but this one felt more personal.

Contrasting positions

Watkins is the top client at Two Touch, the agency run by former Arsenal youngster Paolo Vernazza. Watkins’ move to Al Hilal would likely be one of Two Touch’s biggest deals and Villa are unhappy with how Vernazza has handled it. Were Vernazza to have his time again, he might do things differently too. Daily Mail Sport has tried to contact the 46-year-old since Sunday, but he has yet to respond.

Watkins is thought to earn a little more than £100,000-a-week at Villa, yet the salary proposed by Al Hilal is understood to be substantially more. Watkins has also seen Konsa, 28, join Arsenal for roughly the same sum Villa want from Al Hilal. Watkins turns 31 in December and if he believed Villa’s asking price was too high for a player his age, you could understand it. Not surprisingly, Villa saw it differently.

Under Emery, Watkins has developed into one of the best strikers in Europe. The manager has continuously backed him and was rewarded when he hit 12 goals in 13 games at the end of the season to force his way into England’s World Cup squad.

With two forwards injured, Emery needed Watkins at Brighton. No wonder he was ticking before the pre-match interviews. ‘Silence!’ hissed Emery when asked by Sky Sports’ Johnny Phillips about Watkins’ absence. With Emery, the less he says, often the angrier he is.

He looked a man on the edge at the Amex, where he argued with the fourth official far more than usual, grew irritable with the opposing bench and stalked down the tunnel at full-time without shaking Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler’s hand. Emery and Hurzeler are not best mates, but the reaction was still telling.

What happens next?

A year ago, it looked as though Emi Martinez had played his final game for Villa. Desperate to move to Manchester United or Atletico Madrid, he was left out for a home defeat by Crystal Palace.

The goalkeeper is still trying to get out, though he knuckled down last season and helped the club win the Europa League. With Watkins, though, that has looked tricky since Sunday. 

Whatever the future holds, he has a huge job winning over Villa fans again. The reality is that there were signs last season that Watkins was in decline. A new deal may not have been the best thing for either party.

If Nicolas Jackson comes in, Villa have a striker with potential who can score goals. Emery likes him, having had him at Villarreal. Villa have also made an enquiry to Bayer Leverkusen for 20-year-old striker Christian Kofane. However, at this stage Leverkusen do not wish to sell.

Either way, Villa need Watkins’ future sorted before they meet Arsenal at Villa Park on Monday.