Aston Villa Nears Deal for Chelsea Striker Nicolas Jackson
Aston Villa are closing in on a deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson in a move that underlines the scale – and the risk – of their summer rebuild.
The clubs have reached broad agreement on a package worth up to £65m for the 25-year-old, with Chelsea set to receive their full asking price. Villa are ready to pay an initial £47.5m, with a further £17.5m tied to add-ons.
The final hurdle is on the player’s side. Jackson still has to agree personal terms, but talks are at an advanced stage and there is growing expectation he will reunite with Unai Emery, under whom he previously worked at Villarreal.
Watkins exit set to follow
Jackson’s arrival would not just reshape Villa’s attack. It would almost certainly open the door for Ollie Watkins to leave.
If the Senegal international signs, Watkins is expected to complete a move to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, a switch that would tear out another piece of the core that carried Villa to Europa League glory in May.
The churn has been relentless. Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa have already gone. Emiliano Martinez is also expected to depart, with Chelsea among the clubs weighing up a move for the Argentina goalkeeper after Villa signed Zion Suzuki from Parma, a deal that has left Martinez surplus to requirements.
Should Watkins follow them out, Villa will have sold five members of that Europa League-winning starting XI in one summer.
Emery’s new-look Villa
Amid all that upheaval, Villa have been busy rebuilding.
Jackson would join record signing Johan Manzambi, midfielder Joao Gomes, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and defender Matteo Ruggeri as part of a squad reshaped at speed and at significant cost.
The plan is clear: younger, high-ceiling talent, aggressive fees, and a squad built to press on from European success rather than bask in it. The risk is just as obvious. Leaders and established performers are leaving as quickly as new faces arrive.
Jackson fits the profile of the new era. He joined Chelsea from Villarreal for £35m in 2023 and has since scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for the London club. He helped them lift the Europa Conference League and featured most recently for the Blues in the 2025 Club World Cup against Fluminense.
Last season he went on loan to Bayern Munich, where he hit 11 goals in 34 games and played his part in a Bundesliga title win. Chelsea banked £14.3m from that loan, but Bayern’s obligation to buy for £56.2m was not activated because he fell short of the appearance threshold of 40 matches of at least 45 minutes.
Chelsea’s own reshuffle
While Villa line up Jackson, Chelsea are reshaping their own squad.
The likely sale of the Senegal striker follows a summer in which the club have also moved towards offloading fellow forward Liam Delap, with a £50m fee agreed with Nottingham Forest.
At the back, Chelsea have been in talks with Atalanta over 18-year-old defender Honest Ahanor, who is valued at £34.3m by the Italian side, as they continue to target younger players with resale potential.
Jackson’s exit would be another sizeable sale for Chelsea’s books. For Villa, it would be another bold swing in a summer that could define Emery’s project.
