Exeter City have issued a statement confirming they expect to receive a payment following Ollie Watkins' transfer from Aston Villa to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal. The 28-year-old striker completed a £51m move to the Saudi Arabian side on Sunday, triggering a FIFA solidarity payment mechanism that benefits clubs involved in his development.
Solidarity payment mechanism triggered
The League Two club cited FIFA's solidarity payment system, which distributes a proportion of any transfer fee to clubs that trained and developed the player between the ages of 12 and 23. Watkins was part of the Exeter City Academy from the age of 11 in 2007 and made his first-team debut in 2014 after signing his first professional contract that season.
Exeter's statement read: “We can confirm we expect to receive a payment following the transfer of Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal. This process involves a number of clubs - Exeter City, Brentford, to whom Exeter sold Ollie in 2017, Aston Villa and Al-Hilal - and is subject to confidentiality clauses which are beyond the control of Exeter City Football Club.”
Payment timeline and instalments
The club stated they are awaiting further details regarding the payment and do not know how long the process will take to conclude. Exeter do not anticipate receiving any sum before the end of the current transfer window, and it is possible that payments will be made in instalments over a number of years, subject to the terms agreed.
“To ensure full transparency, we will share further information with supporters when we are able to do so, however, this will be in line with the confidentiality agreements in place. We can assure supporters that any sum received will be used to protect and strengthen the long-term security of the Club,” the statement added.
Club pride in academy graduate
Exeter also expressed pride in Watkins' career, describing him as “a fantastic footballer - a product of the Exeter City Academy that the whole Club is enormously proud of.” The club said they will continue to follow his career with great interest and pride, as they do with all of their Academy graduates.
The solidarity payment will provide a financial boost to Exeter, who sold Watkins to Brentford in 2017. The club have not disclosed the exact amount they expect to receive, and the payment process remains subject to confidentiality clauses and the involvement of multiple clubs.
