Ollie Watkins' wife Ellie has hinted that her family is struggling to adapt to life in Saudi Arabia, saying she is 'praying it all gets better soon'. The couple are two months into their new life in Riyadh following the former Aston Villa striker's move to Al-Hilal in August.
Ellie, an influencer, has shared posts on social media that suggest the transition has been challenging. In one Instagram Story, she captioned a photo of herself holding her daughter Amara's hand: "Holding my babies close praying it all gets better soon". In another post, she wrote: "I've been so quiet on here, sorry... just trying to move to another country and being a mum has been a lot", ending with a melted face emoji.
Mega-money move to Saudi Pro League
Ollie Watkins, an England attacker, left Birmingham and the Premier League to join Al-Hilal, becoming one of the highest paid players in the world. He is reported to be earning £400,000 a week tax free, which amounts to almost £57,000 a day. The £51 million deal includes a three-year contract, meaning the family will be in Saudi Arabia until at least 2029.
The couple have two young children, Amara, five, and Marley, three. Ellie had mixed emotions about the move, as she and the children said goodbye to home and their families.
Other WAGs have struggled to settle
Ellie is not alone in finding the relocation demanding. Taylor Ward, wife of Riyad Mahrez, previously said she was unhappy after her husband left Manchester City to play for Al-Ahli.
Ellie had also spoken about the shock of the move in August, saying on TikTok: "Okay, well that wasn't on my bingo card for 2026... 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."
She added: "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."
Personal background
Ollie and Ellie first met eight years ago when he was playing for Brentford in the Championship, introduced through mutual friends. The couple married at Marylebone Town Hall in London last year, followed by a larger celebration in the South of France in June.
