Aston Villa have put a new contract on the table for Ollie Watkins, moving to tie down their all-time Premier League top scorer even as Al Hilal circle with a fourth bid on the way.
The offer, worth an improved package through to 2030 according to Sky Sports News, arrives after Aston Villa turned down three separate approaches from the Saudi Pro League champions this summer. The 30-year-old still has two years remaining on his existing deal, so there is no contractual urgency to sell, but the Midlands club clearly want to remove any doubt over his future.
Al Hilal's most recent proposal was worth £38.5m and was rejected on Tuesday, with Villa understood to be holding out for a figure closer to £51m. The Saudi side are now preparing a fourth offer as talks continue.
Watkins, capped by England at this summer's World Cup, is himself said to be open to the move, having reportedly agreed personal terms with the club. Villa's resistance stems partly from the scale of the goals he would leave behind: the striker has scored consistently since joining from Brentford, and replacing that output at a stroke would leave a gaping hole in Unai Emery's attack heading into Champions League football.
Al Hilal's interest has intensified since talks over Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen failed to produce a breakthrough, pushing the Saudi club to turn their attention to Watkins as a replacement for the departing Karim Benzema.
That explains why Villa have simultaneously maintained contact over Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson as a possible like-for-like alternative. The Senegal international, also of interest to Napoli, is valued at around £65m, a fee that would represent a significant outlay even before any Watkins sale is banked.
Watkins has scored 108 Premier League goals in 278 appearances since his 2020 move from Brentford, making him Villa's leading scorer in the competition's history, and he played a central role in the club's run to Europa League glory last season.
For now, the situation remains finely balanced: a striker keen to leave, a suitor circling with fresh money, and a club dangling a long-term deal to try to change his mind.