Watkins’ Aston Villa Career Could End on a Bitter Note
If Ollie Watkins’ Aston Villa career ends this week, it will be a hugely disappointing way for his time at the club to conclude.
If Watkins’ final act as an Aston Villa player was refusing to play for the club, it would be a bitter final memory for a striker who became a legend on that unforgettable night in Istanbul just three months ago.
Unai Emery appeared to place responsibility on the striker and his representatives when answering questions about his absence on the south coast on Sunday afternoon. BirminghamLive was told that Watkins was not travelling to Saudi Arabia to complete a move to Al-Hilal, as no agreement for his transfer was close.
While suggesting that Watkins did not want to feature in Villa’s season opener, Emery declined to provide specific details regarding the reasons for his absence. However, with Tammy Abraham and Brian Madjo both injured, having Watkins available would have been a major boost.
Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emi Martinez were all granted four weeks off following their World Cup commitments. Emery had even mentioned Watkins when explaining that the striker wanted to return early to feature against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup. Only Watkins knows what has changed since then. However, it is reasonable to assume that the prospect of a lucrative move to Al-Hilal played a role, with his absence from the squad against Brighton seemingly linked to his desire not to jeopardise a potential transfer.
But Villa are still paying his wages, while supporters had spent their hard-earned money travelling to the south coast to watch their team begin the campaign. Watkins needed to be there. Not simply because Villa were without another recognised striker, but because if Emery wanted him available, that should have been enough.
Watkins may believe that his time at Villa has naturally reached its conclusion after six years of service and the achievement of winning a major trophy. But his time at the club does not end when he decides it should. It ends when Villa sanction his departure.
The criticism Watkins has received from Villa supporters should therefore come as little surprise. Avoiding a match is never acceptable, whether you are a fringe player, captain or the club’s leading goalscorer.
What makes the situation even more frustrating is that Villa literally had no recognised striker available. There is also the fact that Watkins had, until this point, been an exemplary professional who represented the club extremely well.
Watkins and his representatives may believe they have to put themselves first to secure a move to Al-Hilal, but they will also have to accept the consequences of that decision. Sadly, if he does leave, this episode could become part of his lasting legacy at Villa Park.
The only obvious way for Watkins to repair the situation would be to apologise to the supporters, staff and his teammates, knuckle down and start scoring goals again. Football can move incredibly quickly, but right now, that outcome feels a long way off.
The person who should perhaps feel most disappointed by Watkins is Emery. The Villa boss has continued to support him through difficult periods, even selecting Marcus Rashford ahead of him against PSG in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Without Emery’s backing, Watkins may never have experienced Champions League football, represented England at major tournaments or lifted a European trophy with Aston Villa.
