Ollie Watkins antics ‘disgusting’ as pundit reacts amid agreement to sell Aston Villa striker | OneFootball

Paul Merson has called Ollie Watkins ‘disgusting’ for refusing to play for Aston Villa as he awaited a transfer to Al-Hilal, which has reportedly been agreed now.

Villa lost their first game of the new season 4-0 to Brighton. They had to play without a striker, with injuries to Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham, and Watkins reportedly refusing to play.

The England striker has had an agreement in place to head to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for weeks, and has essentially looked to try and force that move, after four separate bids were rejected by Villa.

Sky Sports‘ Merson has hit out at Watkins for his antics.

He wrote: ‘If it’s true that Ollie Watkins was fit to play in that Brighton game and he didn’t make himself available, then that’s disgusting at the highest level.

‘You’re getting paid a lot of money. People are sitting in the Holte End and they pay a lot of money for season tickets and for travelling up and down the country – and you can’t put yourself out to play a football match?

‘You’ve got the best job in the whole wide world. You’re playing in the Premier League, you’re playing centre forward, you’re earning fortunes, you’re getting paid to stay fit.

‘I understand that his head’s been turned. It’s a lot of money being offered by Saudi Arabia and he’s not a spring chicken anymore.

‘But think of the fans as well. You have to want to play football. Every one of those fans in the Holte End will give their right arm to play that game the other day.

‘He should come and apologise [if he refused to play]. I don’t know what he gets out of not playing. If you’re Aston Villa, you should say to him: ‘I’m not paying you this week’. Because your job literally is to turn up at a weekend and play a football match.”

Ollie Watkins agreement in place with Al-Hilal

Watkins returned to Villa training on Monday and apologised to his team-mates after missing their season opener.

But it appears he’ll not be sticking around for long, with Sacha Tavolieri reporting Al-Hilal and Villa have ‘reached an agreement’ for the striker’s transfer. The value of such is not revealed.

Tavolieri states that Villa were waiting to find Watkins’ replacement before agreeing to his exit, and that is now done. Nicolas Jackson is believed to be the man who will take his place.

It’s also said the Villa striker will earn $15million (£11m/€12.9m) per year in Saudi Arabia.