Ellie Watkins has said her heart is "breaking" over husband Ollie's sudden move to Saudi Arabia, describing his transfer to Al-Hilal as "bittersweet". The WAG said she "loved" her life in Birmingham as she struggles to adjust to relocating the family abroad.
Record move to Saudi Pro League
England attacker Ollie has left Aston Villa and the Premier League to become one of the highest paid players in the world. The striker is reported to earn £400,000 a week after agreeing the move to the Middle East, almost £57,000 a day.
The £51 million deal left his influencer wife with mixed emotions as she and the couple's two young children, Amara, five, and Marley, three, say goodbye to home. Their father may earn four times as much at his new club, but she says she will find it hard to leave Birmingham behind.
'That wasn't on my bingo card'
Speaking on TikTok to her million-plus followers, the social media star said she did not see such a move coming after Ollie's impressive season, which saw the forward lift the Europa League with Villa in May.
"Okay, well that wasn't on my bingo card for 2026," she said after the move was confirmed over the weekend. "We are in Riyadh, we arrived in Saudi last night and I think I'm still in shock to be honest like how life can change so quickly but that is the joys of football."
"I've always actually said how lucky I think we are because we've been at Villa for six years which in football terms is actually quite a long time. We've had our children there, we've had quite big life events so it feels bittersweet to me. I loved my life there, I settled so well and made the most amazing friends."
Getting emotional, she added: "So I am feeling quite emotional about leaving that behind. But I am excited for a change of scenery, I think it's going to be amazing for the kids and I think they are going to have the best time ever. Once we are settled and we know what we are doing, it will all be good. Getting on with our new life in Saudi so exciting times. I'm also feeling a little nervous but I remember feeling like that when we moved to Birmingham so hopefully you can follow my journey in Saudi."
Other WAGs struggled to adapt
Other WAGs have struggled to adapt after leaving the UK for Saudi, with Taylor Ward saying she was unhappy after husband Riyad Mahrez left Manchester City to play for Al-Ahli.
Ollie first met Ellie eight years ago while playing in the Championship for Brentford. The pair were introduced through mutual friends, as revealed on Amazon Prime's The New Generation. The couple married at Marylebone Town Hall in London last year, followed by a larger celebration in the South of France in June.
The 30-year-old striker, Villa's record Premier League scorer with 91 goals, joins the Saudi Pro League after committing to a three-year contract. The England international annoyed the club's fans after making himself unavailable for the team's Premier League opener against Brighton last weekend.
Saying goodbye on Sunday, he posted: "Firstly, I would like to say, never did I intend, nor did I imagine, my time at Aston Villa would end this way. With that being said, I am 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 in my six seasons here, but one thing that has never changed is that I have given everything for this club."
