Unai Emery confirmed Ollie Watkins will become the latest player to join the Aston Villa exodus and says his impending exit left him in tears.
The Spaniard also insisted the England international's legacy at the club is not tarnished after refusing to play last week.
Watkins will follow Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne out of Villa Park after agreeing a deal to join Saudi club Al Hilal and the £50 million ($67m) move is set to be announced.
The 30-year-old, who is the club's top Premier League goalscorer and helped them to Europa League glory last season, refused to play in last weekend's Premier League opener at Brighton, which Villa lost 4-0.
Ollie Watkins has been at Aston Villa since 2020. Photo by Manuel Velasquez - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images That angered the fans and he subsequently apologised to Emery and his teammates, but the manager -- who also confirmed Nicolas Jackson will be signing from Chelsea as Watkins' replacement -- insisted his legacy is intact.
He said: "I can tell you his commitment and his behaviour was fantastic.
"We didn't get a deal to finish his last match playing at Brighton, but he told us after the match he was sorry, and he told us as well he made a mistake.
"He was wrong, but we accepted it. The players as well, because he always had very good behaviour and commitment with the club, with us, and with me.
"And for me, it's a fantastic guy... Even more than a player. And I told him 'bye' with a huge hug and with small tears.
"OK, but now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson.
"Watkins had fantastic years scoring goals, behaviour, commitment, always ready to play, even [when] being injured.
"The four years working with him is a high-level relationship with him as a professional.
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"Last week I was a little bit disappointed. I was disappointed, but we spoke about it, and now clear, he is a fantastic player guy, and one mistake is not closing all the good things he did here.
"For the supporters as well. He is class, and I think it's a legacy here."
Villa are trying to push the Jackson signing through in time for him to feature against Arsenal on Monday night.