Aston Villa sanction Ollie Watkins move to Al Hilal

Ollie Watkins is set to leave Aston Villa for Al Hilal after the Saudi club reached an agreement on all the details of a deal for the England striker.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Al Hilal had secured an agreement with Aston Villa and Watkins, with the player expected to travel to Saudi Arabia this week.

Aston Villa have accepted a bid worth €58.4m, plus a further €2m in add-ons, for the 29-year-old forward. The agreement gives the move the approval required from the Premier League club and clears the way for Watkins to complete the transfer.

Romano announced the development on social media, writing:

“🚨🔵⚪️ BREAKING: Al Hilal have now agreed all details of deal to sign Ollie Watkins, here we go!

Exclusive details: Aston Villa accepted right now last bid worth €58.4m plus €2m add-ons for the English striker.

Green light from#AVFC, travel this week. 💣🇸🇦pic.twitter.com/Ah1RDXB1He”

Watkins had emerged as a target for Al Hilal during the past few days as the Saudi Pro League side searched for a new striker to strengthen its attacking options.

The move comes while there remains uncertainty over the future of French forward Karim Benzema at Al Hilal. Benzema has previously confirmed that he wants to remain with the club, but doubts over his position have continued.

Al Hilal’s pursuit of Watkins was therefore part of a wider effort to reinforce their forward line during the current summer transfer window. With Aston Villa now accepting the latest offer and the player due to travel this week, the proposed switch has moved to an advanced stage.

The fee consists of an initial €58.4m payment and up to €2m in additional clauses, making the overall value of the agreement €60.4m if the add-ons are reached.

Watkins joined Aston Villa’s attacking group as the club’s primary target at centre-forward, and his departure would bring an end to his time at Villa Park if the transfer is completed. However, the information reported so far concerns the agreement between the clubs and the player, together with the planned travel to Saudi Arabia.

Al Hilal have now received the green light from Aston Villa, while Watkins’ expected journey this week represents the next step in completing the move. The Saudi club’s agreement with the striker and the English club has settled the main details of the transfer after negotiations over the final offer.