Aston Villa

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manager Unai Emery said Ollie Watkins apologised for refusing to play for Aston Villa on Sunday as he paid an emotional tribute to the departing striker.

The 30-year-old is expected in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete a £51m move to Al-Hilal, with Villa poised to finalise the signing of Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson for £65m as his replacement.

Emery praised the England forward's behaviour during his Villa career and said he and the squad had accepted Watkins' apology for making himself unavailable against Brighton.

Watkins is Villa's record Premier League scorer with 91 goals, part an overall tally of 108 in all competitions since signing from Brentford for £28m in 2020.

"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," said Emery.

"His commitment and his behaviour 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.

"But now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson."

Villa have agreed a deal for Jackson and are trying to ensure the Senegal striker is registered for Monday's visit of Arsenal.

Watkins is the latest experienced player to leave Villa this summer and Emery urged supporters to back the club's strategy despite the loss of several key figures in their successful 2025-26 season.

The Spanish coach said sums like £50m for players at or around the age of 30 was "crazy".

"We took decisions because it's good for the club," Emery said.

"Of course, we don't want to be a club that sells players, but the responsibility is there.

"How we developed in the last year with some players and how we can sell some players now is completely the right decision.

"We have to rebuild the team as fast as possible. [Fans] have to accept our way and why we are taking some decisions."

Melissa Edwards
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Arsenal at Villa Park (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Leon Goretzka joined Villa as a free agent on Thursday after leaving Bayern Munich in the summer, and Emery hopes the midfielder will be available for selection on Monday.

• On what Goretzka brings to the squad, Emery said: "Experience. High-level experience. He is a winner. He is a very competitive player, he's still young at 31-years-old and he's a good player to add into our squad. He is a versatile player, he can play in different positions and he arrives fit and he is training well."

• Villa are close to breaking Monaco's record for the most transfer income generated in a single window (set in 2018-19), and he said although he would prefer to keep some of those players, he "accepts" the way the club is ran and was prepared for it when he joined.

• On managing a side being broken up by sales, he said: "Maybe we are not performing like we were performing but the objective is to get in progression, the same way we did and in the same performances we had. We will need time, last year we showed it. On Monday we will see it but the players need time."

• He added: "Monday is the next challenge and the Premier League is not waiting. There are 38 matches to play, points to play and we have lost the first match. On Monday hopefully Villa Park is being like we always felt there. Supporting, playing with us and we will need them again."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Villa? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Constantin Eckner
German football writer

Image source, Getty Images

For years, Leon Goretzka was a cornerstone of Bayern Munich's midfield. But in recent years, the record German champions were not hiding their intentions to sell him for the right price.

He rejected a loan move to Galatasaray in 2024 while his sizeable wages at the Allianz Arena ruled out a number of potential destinations, as he was reluctant to accept a reduction in salary, and a move never came to fruition.

Instead his contract ran out in July, making him a free agent for the summer transfer window.

There was a time when Goretzka was considered Germany's best box-to-box midfielder.

His long build made him a force inside both penalty areas, while his ball-handling and tactical understanding helped him between the boxes. But his athleticism slowly faded over the years and younger players took his place.

Last season, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany primarily used Goretzka as a substitute, as did Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann during the World Cup this year.

Goretzka made three appearances for his national team, with 96 minutes in total playing time.

It is uncertain whether new Germany manager Jurgen Klopp will select Goretzka for international duty again.

A move to Aston Villa could certainly help the 31-year-old to revitalise his career, as he seemed stuck at Bayern where he spent a total of eight seasons.

Read more here

Image source, Getty Images

Former Aston Villa winger Steve Froggatt, speaking to BBC Radio WM about Ollie Watkins' desire to leave the club: "The supporters are the most important people at the football club. Ollie is the greatest goalscorer at the club and he should walk away in to the sunset with the thanks of everyone at Villa Park. He has tarnished that.

"The Saudi Arabia thing, I'm not having it. You're only going for the money and that changes my opinion on players. I can't get my head around it. If he was going to an Inter Milan, Bayern Munich or Barcelona, I get that from a footballing perspective.

"Behind the scenes, we don't know what has gone on with Ollie and the football club. I know that from my own experience. When the club want to get rid of you on their own terms, they will do anything they can to make you uncomfortable to get you out."

Listen to the full discussion below or on BBC Sounds here

Aston Villa have made direct contact with AC Milan and Portugal winger Rafael Leao, 27, as they try to beat Galatasaray in the race to sign him. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The Champions League draw is another reminder that Aston Villa are back among the elite - but also how much change there has been.

Europa League winners Villa, returning to the competition after a season away, will host defending champions Paris St-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.

Trips to Barcelona and Galatasaray add an extra sparkle while Unai Emery's side also face Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Viking and Slavia Prague.

PSG's visit will naturally evoke the memories of the 2025 quarter-final when Villa so nearly upset the eventual winners with a memorable comeback.

Although it will be a very different Aston Villa side which will face the defending champions, with Emi Martinez's move to Chelsea and Ollie Watkins' switch to Al-Hilal due to go through before the deadline.

Five of the starting XI are no longer at the club, while Martinez is due to leave and Amadou Onana is out injured until next year.

It will, though, remain a chance to avenge the Super Cup defeat in Salzburg earlier this month.

A trip to the Nou Camp awaits and it is the standout game for Villa in the league phase but, if Emery can add to his squad in what is expected to be a frantic last few days of the transfer window, he can be confident they can progress.

The first league-phase matches will be played on Tuesday, 8 September so there will be little time to bed any further new faces so Emery must get his new-look side to adapt quickly.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa's draw is complete - Unai Emery's side now know the eight sides they will be meeting in the Champions League's 36-club league phase.

The teams were seeded into four pots based on their results in Uefa competitions over the past five years, with pot one being the highest-ranked and pot four being the lowest-ranked.

Each club has been drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, but they can only play a maximum of two teams from one country and they cannot play against a team from their domestic league.

The Villans will face: Paris St-Germain (H), Barcelona (A), Borussia Dortmund (H), Club Brugge (A), Fenerbahce (H), Galatasaray (A), Viking (H), Slavia Prague (A).

The order of those fixtures will be announced by Uefa in due course.

League phase dates:

Matchday 1: 8-10 September 2026

Matchday 2: 13-14 October 2026

Matchday 3: 20-21 October 2026

Matchday 4: 3-4 November 2026

Matchday 5: 24-25 November 2026

Matchday 6: 8-9 December 2026

Matchday 7: 19-20 January 2027

Matchday 8: 27 January 2027

Knockout phase dates:

Knockout phase play-offs: 16-17 and 23-24 February 2027

Round of 16: 9-10 and 16-17 March 2027

Quarter-finals: 6-7 and 13-14 April 2027

Semi-finals: 27-28 April and 4-5 May 2027

Final: 5 June 2027, Madrid

See how the rest of the league phase draw panned out

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

If Senegal international Nicolas Jackson agrees personal terms and completes the switch to Aston Villa from Chelsea, his arrival is expected to trigger Ollie Watkins' move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

A deal worth about £51m will see the 30-year-old leave Villa Park, having joined the club from Brentford in 2020 and become their record Premier League goalscorer with 108 top-flight goals.

Villa had been preparing to sell Watkins, but they needed to replace him before sanctioning a move. He missed Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Brighton, with boss Unai Emery saying it was up to him and his agent to explain why.

The Jackson move remains subject to personal terms being agreed but negotiations are at an advanced stage, with Jackson expected to reunite with Emery having played under him at Villarreal.

He would become the latest player in Villa's summer rebuild, following the arrivals of record-buy Johan Manzambi, midfielder Joao Gomes, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and defender Matteo Ruggeri.

However, there has also been significant movement out of the club and Watkins leaving would mean they have sold five of the starting XI who won the Europa League in May.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich are progressing with a move to take Tammy Abraham on loan from Aston Villa.

The striker is poised to leave Villa Park with Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson closing in on a £65m move to the West Midlands side.

That would also mean Ollie Watkins is expected to join Al-Hilal for about £51m as Villa completely revamp their forward line.

Villa had been open to letting Abraham go despite only signing him from Besiktas for £18.25m in January.

Abraham was happy at Villa and preparing to fight for his place, but is now likely to move to Portman Road. It is due to be a straight loan, with no option or obligation for Ipswich to buy the 28-year-old.

He had scored three goals in 17 appearances for Villa, having previously played for them on loan from Chelsea to help them back into the Premier League in 2018-19.

Ipswich have spent about £150m on 12 summer signings since returning to the Premier League.

Abraham will offer support and competition to £24m record signing Emersonn after his arrival from Toulouse this summer.

The Brazilian scored on his debut as Ipswich beat Sunderland 2-1 in their top-flight opener on Saturday.

Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal have agreed a deal of about £50m to sign Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Villa have asked about West Ham and France defender Jean-Clair Todibo, 26, as they search for a centre-back. (Mail, external)

Villa target Rafael Leao is close to agreeing a move from AC Milan, with Galatasaray set to pay about £38m for the 27-year-old Portugal winger. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The league phase draw for the 2026-27 Champions League takes place at 17:00 BST in Monaco.

A total of 36 teams will take part in the league phase and each team will face eight different teams once, with four home matches and four away matches.

For the draw, the 36 teams will be placed into four pots, with one being the highest-ranked and four being the lowest. The pot placements are based on the clubs' Uefa club coefficient ranking from the five-season period ending at the conclusion of 2025-26.

Each team will face two teams from each of the four pots and cannot face a team from the same country as themselves.

The teams who finish in the top eight will qualify for the last 16. Those between ninth and 24th will enter the play-off knockout round. The 12 teams ranked between 25th and 36th will exit the competition when the league phase is concluded.

Premier League clubs Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal all feature in pot one alongside back-to-back Champions League winners Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Aston Villa and Manchester United both return to the Champions League this season after not featuring last term. They are in pot two with Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Porto, Club Brugge, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven.

• Read more about the draw

Image source, Getty Images

The draw for the Carabao Cup third round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

The matches will be played in the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14.

• Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough

• Manchester United v Brighton

• Manchester City v Norwich City

• Sunderland v Hull City

• Ipswich Town v Arsenal

• Coventry City v Aston Villa

• Bournemouth vLincoln City

• Liverpool v Tottenham

• Chelsea or Luton Townv Leeds

• Millwall v Newcastle United

• Everton v Wolves

• Reading v Brentford

• West Ham v Fulham or AFC Wimbledon

Read more and see the full draw

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts on the news that Chelsea are considering a move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Here are some of your comments:

Arthur: Good to get him off the payroll and bank some cash. Not good if his performances elevate Chelsea above Villa in league and cups.

Prit: Surely someone at Aston Villa must realise that by selling the family silver to our rivals, we are making them stronger and us weaker. I don't want Emi Martinez to go, he is a world class goalkeeper and he is Aston Villa's best goalkeeper since the late, great Jimmy Rimmer. Suzuki may turn out to be a legend at Villa, but at this stage, we simply do not know. We need to mitigate any risk and keep Martinez, at least until January.

Matt: We expected Emi to go last summer and he didn't. He clearly wants out with all the other stars. Getting his wages off the books would be good business, but Suzuki is undoubtedly a downgrade in terms of quality. I think "downgrade" might be the theme of our season.

Mark: I'm loath to see Martinez move to another Premier League club - but equally the club can't keep two high-earning keepers on the wage bill for long, and Martinez has been quite clear he wants to move on. Reluctantly, sell...

Elliot: Think a realistic fee would be circa £10m and as sorry as I'll be to see him go, not having his wages will be a bonus. There is part of me thinking regardless of age he's one of the best goalkeepers in the world so should be worth a small fortune as he's still got a good few years in him yet.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea are considering a move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after making contact with the Argentina international's representatives.

With Zion Suzuki joining last week, do you expect Martinez to leave before the end of the transfer window? And what would represent good value if Villa were to sell Martinez?

Get in touch with your views