Aston Villa signs Senegal striker Jackson from Chelsea

Aston Villa has signed Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a reported club-record fee of £65 million ($87 million) on Friday.

Jackson has agreed to a five-year contract with the Europa League holders. He will work again with Villa manager Unai Emery, as they previously teamed up at Villarreal.

Emery mentioned that Jackson was about to sign during a press conference on Friday. He was speaking about the upcoming game against Arsenal on Monday.

Jackson comes to Villa Park to replace Ollie Watkins, who is on the verge of a £50 million transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.

Last season, Jackson was on loan at Bayern Munich. He had been training alone at Chelsea after being told by manager Xabi Alonso that he was not in the team's plans.

During his time at Chelsea, Jackson scored 30 goals in 81 matches across all competitions since joining in 2023. He helped the club win the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup.

He had trouble getting playing time under former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca last season.

Watkins' move is confirmed by Emery. With his exit, he joins Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne in leaving Villa Park.

Watkins, who is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League, reportedly refused to play in last weekend’s 4-0 loss to Brighton as he prepared for his transfer to Saudi Arabia.