Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery was visibly emotional as he bid farewell to striker Ollie Watkins, who has ended his six-year tenure with the club to join Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal. Watkins, 30, completed the move for a reported fee of around £50-51 million.

Watkins’ departure follows a contentious episode last weekend when he refused to participate in Aston Villa’s opening match of the season, a 4-0 defeat at Brighton. The striker later apologized to the team and coaching staff, an apology Emery publicly accepted. Speaking about the incident, Emery acknowledged that Watkins made a mistake but emphasized that it did not overshadow his overall contribution to the club. “He told us after the match he was sorry and admitted he made a mistake. We accepted that,” Emery said. “He is a fantastic player and a great person. One mistake does not erase all the good things he did here.”

Emery described his farewell to Watkins as emotional, admitting he said goodbye “with a huge hug and small tears,” reflecting the strong relationship between player and coach. Despite losing a key player, Emery expressed respect for Watkins’ legacy at Aston Villa, noting that the striker leaves behind a positive impact.

To fill the void left by Watkins, Aston Villa have signed forward Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in a deal reportedly worth £65 million. The Senegalese striker, 25, is expected to make his debut against Arsenal in an upcoming fixture. Additionally, goalkeeper Emi Martinez is poised to transfer to Chelsea for approximately £7.5 million as part of the squad reshuffle.

As Aston Villa moves into a new phase, Emery hopes the arrivals will help the club maintain its competitiveness this season. The team also looks set to feature defender Ezri Konsa, who could make his first appearance following his transfer from Arsenal.