Aston Villa has signed Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a reported club-record fee of 65 million pounds ($88 million). Jackson agreed to a five-year deal with Aston Villa, reuniting with manager Unai Emery, with whom he previously worked at Villarreal. Emery had indicated that Jackson was set to sign during a news conference on Friday ahead of the upcoming match against Arsenal.
Jackson, who spent the previous season on loan at Bayern Munich, is joining Aston Villa as a replacement for Ollie Watkins, who is finalizing a 50-million-pound ($68 million) transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. Jackson had been training separately from Chelsea's squad after being informed by manager Xabi Alonso that he was not in the team's plans.
During his time at Chelsea, Jackson scored 30 goals in 81 appearances across all competitions since his transfer in 2023, contributing to the club's victories in the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup. He was previously sidelined by former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. While on loan at Bayern Munich, Jackson scored 11 goals and won the Bundesliga and the German Cup. He has also represented Senegal 37 times and participated in the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
Watkins' departure, confirmed by Emery, follows the exits of Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne from Villa Park. Watkins, the club's top Premier League goalscorer, reportedly declined to play in last weekend's 4-0 loss to Brighton prior to his move to Saudi Arabia.