Aston Villa completed the permanent signing of Senegal international Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in a deal reportedly worth up to £65 million. The transfer includes an initial £47.5 million fee with an additional £17.5 million in add-ons, announced on August 28 [1, 2, 3].
Jackson, 25, previously played under Aston Villa manager Unai Emery at Villarreal. He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2023 for £35 million and scored 30 goals in 81 appearances while helping the club win the UEFA Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup [1, 2, 3].
Last season, Jackson spent a loan spell at Bayern Munich, where he scored 11 goals in 34 games and won both the Bundesliga and the German Cup [1, 2, 3]. He has represented Senegal 37 times, including participation at the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups. "The 37-cap Senegal international, who represented his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has joined on a permanent transfer," Aston Villa said [2].
Jackson’s arrival at Villa Park is expected to trigger the departure of England striker Ollie Watkins, who is set to move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal [1, 2, 3].
Since winning the Europa League in May and qualifying for the Champions League with a top-four Premier League finish last season, Aston Villa have sold five regular starters, including Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, and likely Emiliano Martinez [1, 2, 3].
Villa started their 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a 4-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion. Their next league match is against Arsenal on Monday [2, 3].
