LONDON: Tuesday is set to be an epic for the Saudi Pro League. Al-Hilal versus Al-Ahli was already the biggest game of the season so far but now it is going to be unmissable. Fans in Riyadh are going to get a first look at Ollie Watkins, after the England striker secured a $70 million move to the Blues from Aston Villa in one of the most talked about deals of the summer.
For some time the focus in the SPL has been on signing younger players who can improve, develop and ultimately be sold back to the big leagues of Europe. But there is still interest if the right player comes along regardless of age and that is the case for Al-Hilal and their new star.
Watkins, 30, has just come back from the World Cup, where England finished third. His greatest moment for the Three Lions came in the summer of 2024 when he scored the last-minute winner in the semifinal of the European Championships against the Netherlands.
But it is as an Aston Villa icon that he will be best remembered. He scored 91 goals in 221 appearances for the 1982 European champions and also contributed 39 assists. In all he played more than 300 games and was a true fan favorite as he is a real team player who never stops running and is capable of scoring a goal out of nothing.
Watkins, who helped Villa win the Europa League last May, was preparing for the UEFA Champions League but now will appear in the Asian version.
First though are domestic matters. That Hilal got one of the English Premier League’s stars will be well received by fans of the most successful team in Asia. It shows that when it comes to the league’s outside Europe the one in Saudi Arabia still has the pulling power. It is also more competitive than most. There are five teams who can realistically challenge for the title and a couple more that want to break into that elite group.
In England Aston Villa are in that second group but Watkins is now very much at a club that expects to win. Failure is not tolerated in the blue corner of Riyadh which has celebrated 19 league titles and four Asian crowns — both respective records. Finishing second last season, even going unbeaten, was not good enough. The new striker is going to be under pressure to perform but then the reward could well be a first league title.
If fans are ready to welcome the star, coach Simone Inzaghi is going to have to be more concerned about where he fits in.
On recent evidence the Blues seem to be doing just fine, especially in attack. The first two games brought nine goals. They were five to the good in the first half alone at Al-Kholood. Inzaghi will have been especially delighted that there were five separate scorers. Ivory Coast teenager Mohamed Kader Meite started it off, then it was Sergej Milinkovic Savic and Theo Hernandez. Crysencio Summerville, the biggest signing of the summer until now, then got his first for the club and then Sultan Mandash got in on the act.
Watkins is the icing on the cake, a proven top-class striker who is expected to start scoring from day one. There are times when that is what a team needs, not a young prospect who needs time or development.
The former Brentford forward was obviously keen to come to Riyadh and reportedly refused to play in Villa’s opening game of the season against Brighton and Hove Albion. It seemed out of character for a man regarded as the consummate professional.
Villa Coach Unai Emery paid tribute to Watkins on his departure.
“He told us after the Brighton match he was sorry and that he had made a mistake. He was wrong, but we accepted it. The players as well.
“His commitment and his behavior was fantastic. He’s a fantastic guy, a fantastic guy even more than a player. I told him ‘bye’ with a huge hug and with small tears.”
Watkins has benefitted from working with one of the best and most respected coaches in the world. His general awareness and movement have improved and playing with the likes of Ruben Neves and Milinkovic-Savic in midfield and wingers such as Summerville, the service should be very much to the Englishman’s liking.
But if Ollie Watkins really needs some tips on scoring in Saudi Arabia, he can ask England teammate Ivan Toney. But perhaps better to wait until after Tuesday’s blockbuster.
