Ollie Watkins transfer: Aston Villa in talks with Saudi club Al Hilal over England striker
England striker Ollie Watkins being targeted as potential replacement for Karim Benzema but Al Hilal have had one offer already knocked back; Watkins scored 16 goals in Premier League last season for Aston Villa and earned a spot in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for World Cup
Wednesday 19 August 2026 11:42, UK
Al Hilal are in talks with Aston Villa over a deal to sign striker Ollie Watkins, who is keen on the move.
Sky Sports News understands the Saudi club have already seen a €45m (£38.5m) offer rejected by Villa, but negotiations remain ongoing as they look to find a solution.
Villa also need to sign a replacement and that is expected to be a factor in the decision to allow Watkins to proceed with the move.
Watkins, 30, is being targeted as a potential replacement for Karim Benzema, with Al Hilal also working on a way to resolve the Frenchman's contract situation and allow him to leave the club.
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Benzema joined Al Hilal from Al Ittihad in February on an 18-month deal, but his future is now uncertain. He scored 10 goals in 15 appearances during his first half-season in Riyadh.
Al Hilal's interest in Watkins comes after a campaign where he scored 16 league goals for Aston Villa as he helped the club win the Europa League and secure another season of Champions League football. He was also included in England's 2026 World Cup squad.
The 30-year-old has established himself as one of Villa's key attacking players since joining from Brentford in 2020, having scored more than 100 goals for the club.
Villa have a long-term interest in Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson and that remains the case with two weeks left of the window.
Villa confirm £51.3m double signing
Aston Villa have confirmed the signings of Matteo Ruggeri and Zion Suzuki.
Former Italy U21 left-back Ruggeri, 24, joins from Atletico Madrid for £21.4m. He made 47 appearances in all competitions in 2025/26.
Japan international goalkeeper Suzuki, 23, from Parma for £29.9m after two years in Italy.
Aston Villa: Turbulent summer at Villa Park
Analysis by Sky Sports' Pat Rowe:
The doom and gloom mood of pre-season following the departures of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans was momentarily lifted with the performance of Aston Villa against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final.
New signing Joao Gomes and 17-year-old Brian Madjo have impressed in pre-season and stood out once again against PSG, despite the loss.
However, Unai Emery was dealt another blow when reports emerged of injuries for both players as they approach the season opener against Brighton. They will now join both Amadou Onana and new signing Johan Manzambi on the sidelines.
It has been a summer of change at Villa Park and navigating key player exits is difficult enough. Injuries and the absence of any form of pre-season for Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins, who have been linked with moves away, due to their extended World Cup breaks now mean both the line-up and performance itself could throw up a few surprises at the Amex Stadium.
