Watkins Arrives in Riyadh to Join Al Hilal

English international striker Ollie Watkins arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Friday evening, preparing to complete the formalities of his transfer to Al Hilal from Aston Villa.

Ollie Watkins has arrived at Al Hilal after the club received approval from Aston Villa to complete the transfer, according to Sky Sports, for a fee of £50 million.

Previous reports have revealed that the English striker will receive an annual salary estimated at around $15 million as part of his anticipated contract with Al Hilal.

Al Hilal is making moves to acquire Ollie Watkins in a bid to bolster their attacking strength, especially with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of French striker Karim Benzema.

Watkins is 30 years old, excelling as a central striker while also possessing the ability to move to the wings and exploit spaces behind the opponents' defensive line.

The English forward started his journey at Exeter City's academy, before having a short experience with Weston-super-Mare, then returned to Exeter where he excelled in scoring and assisting.

Ollie Watkins moved to Brentford in 2017, before arriving at Aston Villa in 2020 for around £28 million.

The striker has established himself as one of the key attacking elements for Aston Villa, continuing to find the net in the Premier League, which has also earned him a chance to represent the England national team.

During his international career, Watkins has played 22 matches with the England national team, and he has managed to score 7 goals, according to data for the 2026-2027 season.