Ollie Watkins edges closer to Saudi Arabia transfer as he's left out of Aston Villa squad

Ollie Watkins has been axed from Aston Villa ’s squad amid interest from Saudi Arabia. Watkins, 30, has been linked with a switch to Al-Hilal, with numerous bids having been turned down for the frontman.

Villa however have now hinted that his future might lie away from the Midlands. Watkins has been left out of the club’s 18-man squad that will take on Brighton & Hove Albion in their Premier League opener on Sunday, with midfielder Emi Buendia instead selected to lead the line for Unai Emery ’s side.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Villa boss insisted that he was not keen on selling Watkins. He said: "We have an issue with him, it's clear. He is our player. We have had offers for him.

"I don't want to sell him but it can change because if it's a good option for him and the club and I can replace him in the squad, this is the routine we have and we did before with the players who are leaving.

"With Ollie, he is here, for me he is a fantastic striker, we have always believed in him. Now he is our player, there are 10 days more or less to finish the transfer window, we will see what happens, I'm happy with him, if he is staying with us he will continue playing his level."

When asked by Sky Sports prior to Villa's game against Newcastle whether Watkins' absence meant he had played his last game for the club, Emery simply replied: "Silence."

Watkins still has two years left to run on his contract with Villa, having arrived at the club from Brentford back in 2020. Since then, he has gone on to make 278 appearances for the side and has scored 108 goals - many of which have helped the club win the Europa League in the summer, as well as to three seasons in Europe.

Watkins has also become a full international during his spell with Villa, having earned 24 caps for England and scored seven times. Should his move to the Middle East go through, Watkins would become the latest high-profile star to leave the club this summer.

Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea in a big-money move earlier this summer, while Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa have joined Manchester United and Arsenal respectively. Lucas Digne has also left, having rejoined former club Paris Saint-Germain.

Villa have attempted to rebuild their side in the aftermath of their summer exodus, with big-money swoops for Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes, while they also completed a double deal for Matteo Ruggeri and Zion Suzuki earlier this week.

Alejandro Garnacho and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have also arrived on loan moves from Chelsea and West Ham .