Waleed Al-Farraj says Al-Hilal close to Ollie Watkins as Al-Ahli clásico debut mooted for one September | OneFootball

Saudi broadcaster Waleed Al-Farraj says Al-Hilal are close to signing England striker Ollie Watkins, who could debut in the Al-Ahli clásico on one September.

According to Goal.com, the club are pursuing a new centre-forward amid uncertainty over Karim Benzema’s future, with Watkins the preferred option for Simone Inzaghi.

Talks with Aston Villa have pushed the move towards its decisive phase and Watkins has made clear he wants the switch.

Speaking on his programme, Al-Farraj said the agreement was largely wrapped up and that the striker would join the squad in the coming period.

He added that, in his view, Watkins could feature against Al-Ahli on one September, which would add extra edge if the transfer is completed in time. Attention now turns to how Benzema’s situation develops in the days ahead.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”