Aston Villa have officially completed the signing of Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a club-record fee of £65 million, or approximately $87 million. The 25-year-old forward has committed to a five-year contract at Villa Park, marking a reunion with manager Unai Emery, with whom he previously worked at Villarreal. Emery confirmed the impending arrival during his Friday press conference ahead of Monday’s fixture against Arsenal.
Jackson joins Villa following a season-long loan spell at Bayern Munich. His arrival serves as a direct replacement for Ollie Watkins, who is currently finalizing a £50 million transfer to the Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. Watkins, the club’s top Premier League goalscorer, reportedly refused to participate in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Brighton as his move neared completion. His departure follows the exits of Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne.
Before the transfer, Jackson had been training away from the main Chelsea squad after being informed he was not part of the tactical plans of manager Xabi Alonso. The striker had previously been sidelined by former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca during the previous campaign. During his tenure at Stamford Bridge, which began in 2023, Jackson recorded 30 goals in 81 appearances across all competitions, contributing to the club’s UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup titles. The report also notes that emery had revealed the 25-year-old was set to sign when he spoke to the media in a press conference on Friday to preview Monday’s game against Arsenal.
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