FIFA solidarity payments will see City get between £1.75m and £2m after he left Villa for £50m to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal
Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins(Image: PA)
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Exeter City will be set for a windfall boost after Ollie Watkins has left Aston Villa for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal.
The England international has become the latest big name to leave Villa Park this summer as he sealed a £50million move to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, a week after sitting out Villa's opening match of the season which ended in a 4-0 loss to Brighton.
It brings to an end a six-year spell at Villa, during which time Watkins became the club's Premier League record scorer with 91 goals in the top flight and helped them to win last season's Europa League.
"Firstly, I'd like to say never did I intend, nor did I imagine my time at Aston Villa would end this way," Watkins said in a video posted on Instagram.
"With that being said I'm eternally grateful for the last six years. Not only has it shaped me as a player, but as a person. We've been through so many ups and downs during my six seasons here.
"But one thing that has never changed is that I've given everything for this club. From my first goals in the 7-2 win against Liverpool, getting the club back into Europe, the Champions League nights at Villa Park to that unforgettable night in Istanbul."
After thanking his three managers at Villa Park – Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and Unai Emery – Watkins added: "It's time for a new chapter that I'm excited about. However, I close this chapter with a heavy heart. Villa will always mean so much to me. Thank you guys, from the bottom of my heart."
A Villa statement said: "Capable of scoring different types of goals with a ruthless streak, allied to a selfless work ethic for his team's benefit, Watkins leaves Villa having played his part in our UEFA Europa League victory and with the very best wishes of everyone at the football club."
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And City will be set for a portion of that fee to come their way as under FIFA regulations, whenever a professional player is transferred for a fee before their contract expires, five per cent of the total transfer fee is reserved to compensate the clubs that trained and developed the player between the ages of 12 and 23.
Since Ollie Watkins joined Exeter City's academy at age 11 and remained at the club until his move to Brentford in 2017 (aged 21), the Grecians will earn between 3.5 per cent and 4 per cent of the entire transfer fee paid for Watkins, with the Bees getting the other proportion of the fee.
With the fee at £50m, that will leave City earning between £1.75m and £2m from the solidarity payment. The Grecians have already earned £1.8m from the initial sale of Watkins to Brentford, plus a further £4m from the 15 per cent sell-on clause when he moved to Villa, and then a further £750,000 when all the add-ons were met.