Led by His Highness Prince Nawaf bin Saad, the Board of Directors of Al Hilal Club Company, sealed the signing of English forward, Ollie Watkins, from Premier League Club, Aston Villa, to represent the Saudi Club for three (3) years.
The signing ceremony held at Almajdiah Sport Hub on Sunday 30 August, 2026.
The permanent move of the Englishman to Saudi Arabia was confirmed by Aston Villa on Sunday via an official statement.
Watkins was signed to the Villans by Manager Dean Smith in 2020 and made sure to record double figures in every one (1) of his six (6) seasons at Villa Park.
According to the statement, Watkins, England Senior National Team player, “departs as our record Premier League goalscorer with a total of 91.
“He was also the first player in the modern era to score over 100 goals in claret and blue, achieving his century against Bologna last season.”
While at the Villa Park, Watkins became an England international and has represented the Three Lions at two (2) major international tournaments.
Watkins was also part of the Aston Villa team that won the Uefa Europa League 2025/26. The final which was played on 20 May 2026 at Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul, the Turkish Capital, had Unai Emery’s Villans thrash German Bundesliga Club, Freiburg, 3-0.
The Statement reads: “Capable of scoring different types of goals with a ruthless streak, allied to a selfless work ethic for his team’s benefit, Watkins leaves Villa having played his part in our UEFA Europa League victory and with the very best wishes of everyone at the football club.”
Watkins will wear shirt number 11 at Al Hilal.
The England forward is expected to join Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal team’s training session on Sunday evening as they get ready for the match against Al-Ahli next Tuesday in Roshn Saudi League.
