Aston Villa have agreed a deal worth up to £65million to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea as Unai Emery moves quickly to replace Ollie Watkins. Villa will pay an initial £47.5m for the Senegal international, with another £17.5m potentially due through add-ons.
The agreement comes on the same night that Villa accepted Al-Hilal’s offer for Watkins, clearing the way for a major change at centre-forward.
Personal terms with Jackson are now being finalised ahead of the 25-year-old completing his move to Villa Park.
Aston Villa agree £65m Nicolas Jackson transfer
Villa have spent much of the final weeks of the window preparing for the possibility of losing Watkins.
Their interest in Jackson developed rapidly, with an offer worth around £60m including bonuses submitted on Tuesday.
The clubs have now reached an agreement at £47.5m plus £17.5m in potential add-ons, taking the maximum package to £65m.
Jackson also brings an existing relationship with Emery.
The Villa manager worked with the striker at Villarreal and gave him his senior breakthrough before Jackson eventually joined Chelsea in 2023.
That familiarity could help Villa integrate their new forward quickly, particularly with Watkins now preparing to leave for Saudi Arabia.
We looked earlier on Wednesday at how Villa could unlock Jackson’s most dangerous role, with his movement and ability to attack space offering Emery options beyond simply replacing Watkins like-for-like.
Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich before returning to Chelsea this summer.
Now, barring any late problem with personal terms or the remaining formalities, Villa have secured the man they identified to lead their attack after Watkins.
