Unai Emery says he hugged Ollie Watkins and burst into tears when the striker said goodbye to Aston Villa before leaving the club for what was described as “a long Saudi riyal”.
The Aston Villa manager spoke about the departure of Watkins, whose exit came after a period of tension between the player and the club. Despite those difficulties, Emery said their final meeting was deeply emotional and took on an almost fatherly tone.
“I hugged him and burst into tears,” Emery said.
The Spanish coach’s account presents the farewell as a personal moment between manager and player, rather than simply the conclusion of a professional relationship. Emery acknowledged that there had been friction before Watkins left, but said those circumstances did not define their final encounter.
Watkins had been part of Aston Villa since 2020, when he joined from fellow English club Brentford. His move brought an end to his spell with the club, while Emery was left to reflect on the departure of a player he had worked with during his time in charge.
The description of Watkins leaving for a “long Saudi riyal” refers to the financial attraction behind his move away from Aston Villa. However, Emery’s comments focused less on the commercial side of the transfer and more on the emotion surrounding the striker’s goodbye.
Although the relationship had experienced tensions before Watkins’ departure, the farewell was described as almost paternal. Emery’s words suggest that the disagreement between them did not erase the bond formed during Watkins’ time at Aston Villa.
Watkins joined the club from Brentford in 2020, becoming an Aston Villa player after moving from another English side. His departure therefore marked the end of a period that began with that transfer and concluded with an emotional exchange with Emery.
The central detail from Emery’s account was the embrace between the two men and his reaction during it. By saying that he cried as he hugged Watkins, the manager conveyed how strongly he felt the striker’s departure, despite the tensions that had preceded it.
For Emery, Watkins’ exit was not presented as a routine change in playing personnel. Instead, the Aston Villa manager described a farewell that carried considerable personal weight, with the final moment between them taking place against the backdrop of the player’s move away from the club and towards the financial promise represented by Saudi Arabia.
Watkins’ time at Aston Villa began after his 2020 move from Brentford. It ended with an emotional goodbye in which Emery said the difficult circumstances surrounding the separation were ultimately accompanied by an intimate, almost father-and-son-style farewell.
