Aston Villa Eye Nicolas Jackson Amid Ollie Watkins Transfer Pressure
Aston Villa are lining up a move for Nicolas Jackson if they bow to Saudi pressure and cash in on Ollie Watkins, with Al Hilal refusing to let the England striker go quietly.
Chelsea value Jackson at around £65m and, with the Senegal forward back at Stamford Bridge after a loan spell at Bayern Munich, they are pushing for a permanent sale rather than another temporary move. Atletico Madrid are also in the frame for Jackson, but the Spanish club would prefer a loan – a stance that leaves Villa in a stronger position if Watkins’ future takes the turn many now expect.
Al Hilal turn up the heat on Watkins
Al Hilal remain locked in talks for Watkins, who is keen on a move to Saudi Arabia. At least one bid has already been rejected, with their opening offer understood to be in the region of £38.5m.
Villa’s stance is clear: they do not want to sell. Watkins is central to what Unai Emery has built. He struck 16 league goals last season, drove Villa to Europa League glory and helped secure another year of Champions League football. His form earned him a place in England’s 2026 World Cup squad and pushed his value to the point where losing him would leave a sizeable hole in both the team and the dressing room.
Yet Al Hilal are pushing hard. They view the 30-year-old as a potential replacement for Karim Benzema and are also working on a solution to the Frenchman’s contract situation to allow him to leave. The Saudi club’s financial power, and the player’s openness to the move, mean Villa are braced for another wave of pressure before the window closes.
Emery: ‘We have an issue with him’
Emery did not hide the tension when he faced the media before Sunday’s trip to Brighton.
“We have an issue with him, it is clear,” the Villa manager said. “We had offers for him but he is our player. I don't want to sell him but it can change if it is a good option for him, the club and I can replace him in the squad.
“He is here and is a fantastic striker. We have always believed and supported him, he did it.
“There is 10 days to finish the transfer window, we will see. He is our player and I am happy with him.”
Asked directly whether Watkins had requested to leave, Emery replied: “I don't know, maybe you have more information than us! Football is changing.
The players are professional and Watkins is our player.”
Behind those words sits a familiar modern reality: a club desperate to keep its star forward, a player tempted by a lucrative move, and a manager trying to hold the line while quietly preparing for the worst.
Chelsea and Villa’s growing transfer axis
If Villa are forced to sell, Jackson is the name at the top of their list. The 23-year-old knows Emery well from their time together at Villarreal, where his pace and movement first caught wider attention.
There is also a strong working relationship at board level between Chelsea and Villa. The two clubs have already completed major business this summer, including the record-breaking deal for Morgan Rogers and Alejandro Garnacho’s switch to claret and blue. Those recent negotiations have smoothed the channels for another significant move if Watkins’ situation unravels.
Chelsea, for their part, want clarity. Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich and the London club now want a clean sale, not another loan. That stance could rule Atletico Madrid out unless they change their approach and gives Villa a clear path if they suddenly find themselves with a Watkins-sized gap up front.
Martinez pushes for ‘another challenge’
Watkins is not the only pillar of Emery’s side whose future is uncertain. Emiliano Martinez has also made it clear he is open to a move.
Emery confirmed that the Argentina goalkeeper has asked to leave and pursue “another challenge” in his career. A proposed switch to Juventus collapsed earlier in the window, but the 32-year-old remains restless.
Villa have already moved to protect themselves, signing Japan international Zion Suzuki from Parma this summer. Crucially, Emery insists Suzuki is not just one for the future.
“We have two excellent keepers,” he said. “We have signed Suzuki not for the future, but for now. He has shown his capacity and that he can play at our level.
“Martinez transmitted to us the possibility to have another challenge in his career, not just now and even last year, and he was thinking in case he had a possibility to change his challenges, but he stayed and performed fantastic.
This year, again, he transmitted to us for a new challenge, and we signed Suzuki to replace him. But the scenario we have is that we have two great goalkeepers. We will see what will happen.”
So Villa head into the final days of the window with their Europa League-winning core under siege: their leading scorer courted by Saudi money, their World Cup-winning goalkeeper eyeing the exit, and their manager insisting he does not want to sell – while quietly lining up replacements.
The question now is not whether bids will come. It is how long Villa can keep saying no.
