Aston Villa Prepare for Al-Hilal's New Bid for Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa are braced for another push from Al-Hilal for Ollie Watkins after knocking back an offer of almost £40m for their leading Premier League goalscorer.

The Saudi club have not gone away. They want Watkins, the forward who has hit double figures in the league across six seasons since arriving from Brentford and has become the reference point of Villa’s attack. Villa, though, know exactly what they would be losing: a 30-year-old England international with two years left on his contract and a proven record at the top level.

If Villa do cash in, they will move for a replacement. Unai Emery is a long-term admirer of Nicolas Jackson, but Chelsea’s £65m valuation is currently a wall Villa are unwilling – and perhaps unable – to climb. Inside the club there is a clear understanding: any big-name signing before the window shuts will almost certainly have to be funded by another major departure, with Premier League financial regulations looming over every decision.

Emery has already been forced into a substantial rebuild. Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne have gone, heading to Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. Rogers’ move, worth £117m, has made him the most expensive British player of all time and underlined the scale of the churn at Villa Park.

Between the posts, there is change as well. Zion Suzuki has arrived from Parma for £30m as the chosen successor to Emiliano Martínez, whose future is still unresolved. Suzuki is set to become the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Premier League, a landmark signing at a time when Villa are trying to refresh the core of their side without losing their competitive edge.

The overhaul does not stop there. Villa have wrapped up a £17m deal for Matteo Ruggeri from Atlético Madrid and are still in negotiations with Bayern Munich over João Palhinha and with West Ham for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. They have already gone big on Johan Manzambi, brought in from Freiburg for a club-record £52m, and Joao Gomes from Wolves for £38m to reinforce Emery’s options in midfield.

More exits are likely. Villa are actively looking for a new club for Martínez, while Arsenal’s interest in England defender Ezri Konsa has not gone away.

Everything now hinges on the next bid for Watkins – and how far Villa are prepared to bend before their carefully balanced rebuild starts to creak.