Ollie Watkins has claimed that the Saudi Pro League is on the same level as the Premier League in terms of quality after scoring on debut for Al-Hilal.
Watkins turned heads by swapping Aston Villa for the Riyadh club in a £51million transfer last week. The England striker signed a three-year deal with Al-Hilal after refusing to play for Villa in an attempt to force through the transfer.
The 30-year-old netted 108 goals in 278 games for Villa, where he won the Europa League last season. He is Villa’s record goalscorer in the Premier League with 91 strikes to his name.
His new Al-Hilal team-mates include Crysencio Summerville, who left West Ham in a £60m deal this summer, as well as ex-Wolves star Ruben Neves, ex-Chelsea and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, former AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez and Morocco international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Al-Hilal, who are managed by ex-Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, are also poised to announce the £60m signing of Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal.
Watkins scored on his debut in a 3-0 win over rivals Al-Ahli – whose team includes England international Ivan Toney – on Tuesday and he believes the quality is equivalent to the English top flight.
“The level I saw here today was honestly of Premier League quality,” Watkins said post-match (via Mirror). “The match was very strong physically and demanding, and the quality was extremely high.
“I knew straight away [to join Al Hilal when the offer came]. I watched the Club World Cup and I saw how well they performed. I always see who’s at the top of the league and they’re always up there.
“And look, I want to come here. I want to win trophies and I think this team is going to give me the best possible chance of doing that.”
“If Al-Ahli were in the Premier League, we’d give it a good go and we’d be close to the top four. It is a quality league and people should not turn their noses up.”
In a social media post after his exit, Watkins said: “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.”
