Al Hilal Negotiates for Ollie Watkins as Benzema Replacement

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

Sky Sports News understands Villa have already rejected an initial offer, but talks are still alive, with Al Hilal pushing to find a package that tempts the Midlands club into doing business.

Al Hilal’s Benzema dilemma

Watkins has emerged as a leading target as Al Hilal try to plot a way out of an increasingly complicated situation with Benzema. The French forward, who arrived from Al Ittihad in February on an 18‑month contract, faces an uncertain future despite a strong start in Riyadh, where he scored 10 goals in 15 games in his first half-season.

The Saudi side are working on a solution to his contract that would allow him to leave, clearing the way for a new focal point in attack. Watkins is firmly on that shortlist.

Villa’s talisman in demand

The pursuit comes on the back of a standout campaign for Watkins. He hit 16 Premier League goals for Aston Villa, driving Unai Emery’s side to Europa League glory and another season of Champions League football. His form also earned him a place in England’s 2026 World Cup squad.

Since arriving from Brentford in 2020, the 30-year-old has grown into one of Villa’s defining players of the modern era, passing the 100-goal mark for the club and becoming the reference point for Emery’s high-energy, front-foot style.

Losing him now would not just be a tactical headache. It would rip out a large part of Villa’s attacking identity.

Turbulent summer at Villa Park

All of this lands in a summer that has already tested Villa’s resolve.

The mood around Villa Park darkened early in pre-season after the departures of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, raising questions about depth and direction just as the club prepared for the demands of juggling domestic and European campaigns.

There was a flicker of light. The performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final briefly shifted the narrative. New signing Joao Gomes and 17-year-old Brian Madjo caught the eye again, building on promising pre-season displays even in defeat to the French champions.

Then came another setback. Reports of injuries to both Gomes and Madjo arrived just as Villa edge towards their Premier League opener against Brighton. They now join Amadou Onana and new signing Johan Manzambi on the treatment table, stripping Emery of options in key areas before a ball has even been kicked in anger.

So Villa face a brutal equation: a stretched squad, a demanding season ahead, and now serious interest from Saudi Arabia in the striker who knits their attack together.

Al Hilal are still at the table. Villa have said no once. The real question is how many times they can afford to say it.