Ollie Watkins ‘to hold Aston Villa exit talks with Unai Emery’
Ollie Watkins is expected to sit down with Unai Emery and his staff at the end of the season after recent comments made by the Aston Villa striker.
Ahead of the 4-1 Premier League victory over Newcastle United at Villa Park on Saturday (19 April), Watkins had gone three matches in all competitions without a start.
However, the Englishman returned to the starting lineup against the Magpies and proved his point to Emery by scoring and providing an assist.
Gabby Agbonlahor was mesmerised by Watkins’ display. However, it remains to be seen whether the striker will still be putting in these kinds of performances for Villa next season.
Watkins ‘to seek clarity at Aston Villa by meeting with Emery’
Villa’s win against Newcastle wasn’t without a bit of controversy, which Watkins was involved in.
However, the 29-year-old and his teammates had the last laugh after securing a crucial win in the race for the UEFA Champions League, although it doesn’t seem as though Watkins has been in a laughing mood as of late.
| Aston Villa 2024/25 | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Ollie Watkins | 48 | 16 | 13 |
Speaking to Sky Sports News after the win against Newcastle (19 April), the Englishman revealed that he was left fuming at Emery’s decision to hand him a combined 20 minutes across both legs against Paris Saint-Germain.
Therefore, ex-Villa scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – expects a meeting to be held between the player and his manager at the end of the season.
“I think Watkins was 100 per cent correct in what he said,” King said.
“He is every right to question why he didn’t feature much against PSG. Since moving to Villa, Watkins has become a full international and a prolific goalscorer. Those big Champions League nights are part of being a top player.
“Therefore, Watkins obviously felt, as I would have felt, that he’s had a good couple of seasons, and all of a sudden, in two very important games, he’s not involved. I think he was right to question that. It was an unnecessary problem for Emery to generate with a player of that quality.
“I’m sure that at the end of the season, Watkins will sit down with Emery and his staff to establish what his position is at the club, because if he isn’t going to play regularly, that could impact his England career.”
Watkins has every right to be upset at Aston Villa
Whether he should have expressed his frustration publicly can be debated. However, what cannot be debated is that Watkins has every right to feel aggrieved at his lack of minutes against PSG.
The striker has been a huge part of the Villans’ success in recent seasons, and is a large part of the reason that Emery’s side were even in the position to play PSG in the Champions League.
Therefore, he deserved to play more than 20 minutes across both games, and if this trend is going to continue, Watkins has every right to demand an exit.