Ollie Watkins completed his £50m move from Aston Villa to Al Hilal on Sunday 30 August 2026, ending a six-year spell at Villa Park. He scored 108 goals in 278 appearances for the club across all competitions.
His final game for Villa was May's 3-0 Europa League final victory over Freiburg, which ended the club's 44-year wait for a European trophy.
Watkins wrote on Instagram: "Six amazing years has come to an end. Thank you for the amazing memories and always supporting me through highs and lows.
"Saying goodbye is never easy to this club as it's been a massive part of my life on and off the pitch.
"Once a villain, always a villain."
Earlier in the week, Unai Emery revealed Watkins had apologised to his team-mates for missing the 4-0 defeat at Brighton on the opening weekend of the season. Before that game, Emery had responded to questions about Watkins' absence by saying: "Ask him. I only can answer it by silence."
On Friday, he said: "Watkins said sorry after Brighton. He made a mistake. He always had good behaviour in the club and with me. He's a fantastic guy.
"I told him 'bye', with a huge hug and a small cry."
Villa have already signed former Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson as Watkins' replacement. He joined this week for a club-record fee that could rise to £65m.
Exeter City have released a statement saying they expect to receive payment following Watkins' move to Al Hilal.
