Aston Villa Near Deal for Chelsea Striker Nicolas Jackson
Aston Villa are closing in on a deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson in a move that could reshape both clubs’ forward lines and send Ollie Watkins to Saudi Arabia.
Villa are understood to have reached a broad agreement with Chelsea on a package worth up to £65m for the 25-year-old. The London club are set to receive their full asking price, with an initial £47.5m and a further £17.5m tied to add-ons.
The final hurdle is Jackson’s personal terms. Talks are at an advanced stage and there is growing expectation he will reunite with Unai Emery, having previously played under the Spaniard at Villarreal. If that happens, the domino effect is clear: Watkins is then likely to complete a move to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.
Emery’s rebuild gathers pace
Jackson’s arrival would continue a bold and ruthless summer rebuild at Villa Park. He would follow record signing Johan Manzambi, midfielder Joao Gomes, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and defender Matteo Ruggeri through the door.
The churn has been dramatic. Watkins’ departure would mean Villa had cashed in on five members of the starting XI who lifted the Europa League in May. Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa have already gone, while Emiliano Martinez is also expected to leave.
Chelsea are among the clubs considering a move for the Argentina goalkeeper, who is now regarded as expendable at Villa after Suzuki’s arrival from Parma.
Jackson’s Chelsea chapter
For Villa, Jackson offers a proven, modern centre-forward profile. Chelsea signed him from Villarreal for £35m in 2023 and he went on to score 30 goals in 81 appearances for the Blues.
His last outing in a Chelsea shirt came on the global stage, against Fluminense in the Club World Cup in 2025. During his time at Stamford Bridge he also collected European silverware, winning the Europa Conference League.
Last season he took a different route, spending the campaign on loan at Bayern Munich. He scored 11 goals in 34 games and played his part in Bayern’s Bundesliga title win. Chelsea earned £14.3m from that loan, though a £56.2m obligation to buy was not activated because Jackson did not reach the threshold of 40 appearances of at least 45 minutes.
Chelsea’s own reshuffle
While Villa push to land Jackson, Chelsea are reshaping their own squad up front and at the back.
Fellow striker Liam Delap is expected to leave, with Nottingham Forest having agreed a £50m fee for the forward. At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea have been in talks with Atalanta over 18-year-old defender Honest Ahanor, valued at £34.3m by the Italian side.
If Jackson signs and Watkins heads for Al-Hilal, Villa’s attack will look very different when the new season kicks off – and Chelsea’s too, with another major piece of their post-Jackson rebuild already being lined up.
