Aston Villa Completes Record-Breaking Signing of Chelsea Forward Nicolas Jackson

Aston Villa have secured the services of Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in a blockbuster deal reported to be a club-record 65 million pounds ($88m).

Jackson put pen to paper on a five-year agreement with the Europa League holders on Friday, linking back up with Villa manager Unai Emery following their previous stint together at Villarreal. Emery had previously confirmed the impending transfer during his Friday media briefing ahead of Monday's fixture against Arsenal.

The 25-year-old, who spent the previous campaign on loan at Bayern Munich, arrives at Villa Park to fill the void left by Ollie Watkins, whose 50-million-pound ($68m) transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal nears completion.

Prior to the move, Jackson had been training away from Chelsea’s first team after being informed he was surplus to requirements under Blues boss Xabi Alonso. During his time at Stamford Bridge following his 2023 arrival, he netted 30 goals across 81 total appearances, contributing to UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup triumphs.

After initially falling out of favor under former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, Jackson spent last season on loan with Bayern Munich, scoring 11 goals and capturing both the Bundesliga and German Cup titles. On the international stage, he has earned 37 caps for Senegal, featuring in their 2022 and 2026 World Cup campaigns.

Watkins' departure—also verified by Emery—sees him join Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne in departing Villa Park. The 30-year-old striker, who stands as the club’s leading Premier League goalscorer, reportedly declined to feature in the recent 4-0 defeat at Brighton prior to his switch to Saudi Arabia.