Al Hilal Pursue Ollie Watkins as Benzema Replacement

Al Hilal have opened talks with Aston Villa over a deal for striker Ollie Watkins, as the Saudi club line up a high-profile replacement for Karim Benzema.

One offer for Watkins has already been rejected, but discussions are ongoing, with Al Hilal pushing to find a formula Villa will accept. The England forward has emerged as a leading target as the Riyadh club also work on a solution to Benzema’s contract that would allow the Frenchman to leave.

Benzema only joined Al Hilal from Al Ittihad in February on an 18‑month deal and made an immediate impact, scoring 10 goals in 15 games in his first half-season in the Saudi Pro League. Now his future is unclear, and Al Hilal are moving quickly to avoid a vacuum at the top of their attack.

Watkins, 30, comes into the picture off the back of a standout year. He hit 16 Premier League goals for Aston Villa last season, driving Unai Emery’s side to Europa League glory and securing another year of Champions League football. His form earned him a place in England’s 2026 World Cup squad and underlined his status as one of the most reliable centre-forwards in Europe.

Since arriving from Brentford in 2020, Watkins has become Villa’s attacking reference point, passing the 100-goal mark for the club and embodying the Emery era’s front-foot style. Losing him now, with the season about to start and Champions League nights on the horizon, would rip a hole straight through Villa’s plans.

Turbulent summer at Villa Park

Villa’s stance on Watkins is shaped by a fraught summer that has already tested Emery’s squad depth and the mood around the club.

The exits of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans cast a shadow over pre-season, fuelling a sense that momentum was slipping just as Villa were preparing to re-establish themselves among Europe’s elite. That gloom eased briefly when Villa pushed Paris Saint-Germain all the way in the UEFA Super Cup final, delivering a bold, aggressive performance that hinted at resilience beneath the surface.

New signing Joao Gomes and 17-year-old Brian Madjo were central to that optimism. Both impressed across pre-season and shone again against PSG, injecting energy and fearlessness into Emery’s side despite the defeat.

Then the setbacks returned. Reports of injuries to Gomes and Madjo arrived just as Villa were turning towards their Premier League opener against Brighton. The pair are now expected to join Amadou Onana and new recruit Johan Manzambi on the sidelines, stretching resources before a ball has been kicked in the league.

Against that backdrop, Al Hilal’s pursuit of Watkins lands at the worst possible time for Villa. Emery is already juggling absences, trying to maintain standards after a trophy-winning season, and preparing for the demands of Champions League football. Watkins is not just another name on the teamsheet; he is the system’s spearhead, the player around whom so much of Villa’s attacking identity revolves.

Al Hilal, though, have shown they are willing to be persistent and ambitious in the market, and they need a statement striker if Benzema moves on. The question now is simple and brutal: how much pressure can Villa withstand before the numbers, and the realities of a turbulent summer, start to bite?