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Emery praises Watkins as Villa prepares for Jackson arrival

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 28, 2026, 2:47 PM

Last updated Aug 28, 2026

Emery praises Watkins as Villa prepares for Jackson arrival

Summary

Unai Emery expressed appreciation for Ollie Watkins as he nears a transfer to Al Hilal worth £50 million. Watkins, who scored 108 goals in six seasons for Aston Villa, did not feature in last weekend's heavy defeat to Brighton. Villa will replace Watkins with Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson, costing an initial £47.5 million plus add-ons. Despite multiple player exits, Emery aims to keep Aston Villa competitive in the Champions League after their recent successes. Jackson may debut against Arsenal following his transfer, alongside Leon Goretzka, who joined on a free transfer from Bayern Munich.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Watkins is set to leave for Al Hilal, valued at £50 million.
•Villa lost 4-0 to Brighton with several key players absent.
•Nicolas Jackson is joining Villa as Watkins' replacement.
•Emery remains focused on Champions League competitiveness.
•Goretzka might debut against Arsenal after signing from Bayern Munich.

Latest Updates

2:47 PMYahoo Sports — Watkins's legacy at Villa untarnished, says Emery as Jackson arrives

What they're saying

"
Unai Emery said Ollie Watkins should be remembered fondly by Aston Villa fans despite not playing in last weekend's 4-0 thrashing by Brighton as he nears a move to Saudi side Al Hilal.Watkins will follow Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne out of Villa Park as the side that won last season's Europa League has been torn apart.
— Yahoo Sports

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