Aston Villa has completed the acquisition of striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea, with the transfer fee reported at 65 million pounds. The 25-year-old Senegal international has signed a five-year contract with the Europa League holders, reuniting him with manager Unai Emery, with whom he previously worked at Villarreal.
Jackson joins Villa as a direct replacement for Ollie Watkins, whose anticipated transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal for 50 million pounds is nearing completion. The striker arrives after spending the previous season on loan at Bayern Munich, where he contributed 11 goals and won both the Bundesliga title and German Cup. Since joining Chelsea in 2023, Jackson has recorded 30 goals across 81 competitive appearances and helped the club secure the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup titles.
The 25-year-old had been excluded from Chelsea’s training activities following the arrival of new manager Xabi Alonso, who indicated Jackson was not part of his future plans. His departure represents another significant exit from Villa Park this summer, following departures by Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne. Jackson has earned 37 international caps for Senegal and represented the nation at both the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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