Unai Emery has refused to provide a clear explanation for Ollie Watkins’ absence from Aston Villa’s heavy defeat to Brighton, instead suggesting that the England striker himself should explain why he was unavailable as speculation grows over a potential move to Saudi Arabia.

Watkins was surprisingly left out of Villa’s squad for their 4-0 defeat despite the club already being short of attacking options. Their other recognised forwards, Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham, were both unavailable because of injuries, making Watkins’ omission particularly notable.

The situation comes amid strong interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, who have reportedly made four offers for the striker. Villa are understood to have rejected all four bids, with the latest proposal believed to be worth approximately £34 million.

The Premier League club are not prepared to accept that amount for one of their most important forwards. However, Watkins’ absence from the Brighton match has raised further questions about whether the player himself is considering a move away from Villa Park.

Emery refuses to explain Watkins’ absence

After Villa suffered one of their most disappointing defeats under Emery, the manager was repeatedly asked about Watkins’ situation.

Rather than offering a detailed explanation, Emery gave an unusually cryptic response.

When questioned about the striker’s position, Emery effectively declined to comment, saying that the matter was something Watkins himself needed to address. He indicated that he could only respond through silence.

The manager was then asked directly whether Watkins had refused to play.

Again, Emery avoided giving a definitive answer. Instead, he suggested that reporters should contact Watkins or his agent if they wanted clarification.

The questions continued, with Emery asked whether he felt disappointed or let down by a player whose performances had improved significantly under his management.

The Villa boss again maintained that Watkins was the person who needed to explain the circumstances.

Emery pointed out that Villa had two injured strikers and another forward who was unavailable, making Watkins’ absence particularly difficult to understand. Nevertheless, he stopped short of publicly accusing the player of refusing to play.

The comments are likely to increase speculation surrounding Watkins’ future, especially given the growing interest from Al-Hilal.

Al-Hilal continue to pursue Watkins

Villa are believed to have rejected four approaches from the Saudi club during the current transfer window.

The latest bid is reportedly worth around £34 million, but Villa consider that figure insufficient and have no intention of allowing Watkins to leave for that amount.

The England international remains under contract and has been an important part of Emery’s team. Since the manager arrived at Villa Park, Watkins has developed into one of the club’s leading attacking players and has consistently contributed goals and assists.

His importance to the team makes his omission from the Brighton match even more significant.

Villa have not indicated that Watkins was injured or ill. It is understood that he was also not involved fully in training during the previous week.

That combination of circumstances has naturally fuelled speculation that the transfer situation may be affecting the striker.

Watkins’ representatives have reportedly been approached for an explanation, but there has been no clear public statement from the player confirming his position.

Villa suffer a disastrous afternoon

Whatever the reasons behind Watkins’ absence, Villa badly missed their leading striker as Brighton produced a devastating first-half performance.

The defeat was one of the most painful of Emery’s time at the club, with Villa falling four goals behind in just over half an hour.

Brighton took control almost immediately and repeatedly exposed weaknesses in the visiting defence.

An own goal from Victor Lindelof gave the hosts the advantage before Maxim De Cuyper added another close-range finish.

Jack Hinshelwood then scored twice in quick succession, completing a remarkable opening half-hour for Brighton.

By the time the fourth goal went in, Villa were already facing an almost impossible task.

Their problems became even greater when new signing Joao Gomes was shown a red card on his Premier League debut for the club. Playing with ten men made any potential comeback even more difficult.

The result represented one of Villa’s poorest performances since Emery took charge and highlighted the instability currently surrounding the squad.

Villa dealing with major squad changes

The Watkins situation is part of a much wider period of uncertainty at Villa Park.

The club have been forced to make significant sales during the summer, largely because of financial and UEFA-related regulations.

Villa have reportedly generated approximately £250 million through player departures.

Among those who have left are Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa. Watkins could potentially become another major departure, while goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was also absent against Brighton and has been linked with a possible move away.

The scale of the turnover is remarkable when considering that several of these players were key members of the Villa side that achieved European success in May.

The team that defeated Freiburg 3-0 to lift the Europa League has subsequently been broken up considerably, leaving Emery with the difficult task of rebuilding while dealing with an ongoing transfer window.

The Villa manager admitted that the uncertainty surrounding transfers has become a recurring problem.

Emery even joked that he would prefer the transfer window to remain permanently closed, highlighting how disruptive the situation has been.

He explained that Villa have experienced similar difficulties during the final stages of the transfer window in each of the past three seasons. Players can become distracted by potential moves, while clubs must simultaneously plan for possible arrivals and departures.

Despite the turmoil, Emery praised the attitude of the players who remain at the club. He said they were continuing to work without complaining or blaming others and were trying to remain patient even after a result as damaging as the Brighton defeat.

Brighton facing their own transfer concerns

Interestingly, Brighton are also dealing with uncertainty over several important players.

Yankuba Minteh and Carlos Baleba were both absent, with their futures attracting considerable attention.

Minteh has reportedly been attracting interest from Liverpool, while Baleba is believed to be wanted by Manchester United.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler explained that Minteh was unavailable because of an ankle problem. However, the club are also conscious of the possibility that transfer speculation could affect their squad.

Despite missing an important attacking player, Brighton demonstrated that they have enough depth to compensate.

Hurzeler was particularly pleased with how his team handled the match after Villa were reduced to ten men.

The Brighton boss acknowledged that the red card changed the nature of the game. With a numerical advantage, his players needed to find the right balance between controlling possession and continuing to attack without becoming careless.

He believed his side showed maturity during the second half and managed the situation effectively.

Hurzeler also highlighted Minteh’s absence as evidence that Brighton cannot depend entirely on one individual.

Although Minteh is an important member of the squad, Brighton were able to produce an outstanding attacking display without him. That depth could prove particularly valuable if further players leave before the transfer window closes.

Watkins’ future remains uncertain

The biggest unanswered question, however, concerns Watkins.

His absence from the Brighton match has inevitably intensified speculation about a possible transfer to Saudi Arabia.

Villa have made it clear through their rejection of multiple bids that they do not want to sell the striker cheaply. But the situation could become increasingly complicated if Watkins is genuinely considering a move to Al-Hilal.

Emery’s unwillingness to discuss the matter publicly has only added to the intrigue.

Rather than defending Watkins or confirming that the player was unavailable for purely footballing reasons, the manager repeatedly directed questions towards the striker and his representatives.

For now, there is no definitive public confirmation that Watkins refused to play. Emery’s comments should therefore be viewed as an indication that the situation is unresolved rather than proof that the player deliberately declined selection.

What is clear is that Villa are facing a difficult period.

They have already lost a large number of important players, their squad remains in transition and the transfer window continues to create uncertainty. Losing Watkins would represent another significant blow, particularly with other forwards already injured.

The coming weeks could therefore be crucial for both Watkins and Aston Villa. Whether the striker remains at Villa Park or follows the growing number of high-profile players attracted by the Saudi Pro League could have a major impact on Emery’s plans for the season.

For now, however, Emery is keeping his thoughts to himself — and his refusal to elaborate has ensured that questions over Watkins’ future are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.