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Watkins vs Toney for Saudi move and England spot
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Ollie Watkins joined Al-Hilal for £50m, facing Ivan Toney's Al-Ahli on Tuesday. Both strikers vie for England's understudy to Harry Kane.
Background
Watkins and Toney were England teammates at the 2026 World Cup, where England finished third. Watkins has now moved to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, while Toney has been at Al-Ahli for two years. Their upcoming match is a clash between title contenders, and England coach Thomas Tuchel is expected to watch as both compete to be Harry Kane's backup.
How it unfolded
- recentlyOllie Watkins transferred from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal for a reported fee of just over £50m.
- recentlyWatkins and Toney spent 33 minutes together on the pitch in Miami as England beat France 6-4 in the World Cup third-place playoff.
- recentlyToney has scored four goals in three games this season for Al-Ahli, after scoring 32 league goals last season.
- recentlyAl-Hilal and Al-Ahli are set to meet on Tuesday in Riyadh in the first big clash of the Saudi Pro League season.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Watkins joins a historically winning machine with record hauls, while Al-Ahli have won one domestic league title in over 40 years.
- Caution
- The temperatures in Riyadh are in the mid-forties during the day, which can be a shock for new arrivals.