Nicolas Jackson is ready for Aston Villa and manager Unai Emery is happy the two will be working together again.
Aston Villa have completed the signing of the Senegalese international from Chelsea in a deal that could extend all the way up to £65 million. And there is no doubt about what Unai Emery expects: Jackson will lead Villa’s attack into a new era without club legend and top scorer of the last six seasons Ollie Watkins.
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The start of the season was a disaster for Aston Villa, who were heavily diluted due to player sales already completed this summer and the absence of Ollie Watkins working on the final details for an exit. “It doesn’t get any easier on Monday when Aston Villa host reigning Premier League champions Arsenal.
– An agreement with major ripple effects
Jackson, who turns 26 later this year, has signed for Villa Park after Chelsea accepted a starting fee of £47.5 million. With various additional clauses, the total sum could eventually surpass £65 million.
This is already the third time this summer that the two clubs have done business with each other. Previously, Morgan Rogers left Villa for Chelsea in a record deal of a staggering £117 million, while Alejandro Garnacho has gone the opposite way on loan.
Watkins on his way out
Already, it is confirmed that Jackson’s arrival opens the door wide for Ollie Watkins to complete his transfer to Al Hilal. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reports that the Saudi Pro League club have reached an agreement with Villa on a deal worth €58.4 million, plus additional add-ons, for the England international striker.
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Thus, Villa may lose their big star, but at the same time they have secured a replacement Emery knows very well from before.
– Reunited with old acquaintances
Jackson and Emery worked together at Villarreal, where the Senegalese really broke through at senior level. From there, he went to Chelsea for £32 million in 2023, and since then, Jackson has developed further.
In total, he scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for the Blues, before spending last season on loan at Bayern Munich. There, he scored 11 goals in 34 appearances – three of which came in the Champions League – and helped secure both the Bundesliga title and the DFB trophy for the German giants.
– Can make his debut against Arsenal already on Monday!
Now, Jackson could be ready for his Villa debut as early as Monday, when the team travels to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal. However, Emery will carefully assess how physically ready Jackson is, as he has been largely absent from first-team training at Chelsea in recent weeks.
Leon Goretzka, who completed his free transfer from Bayern Munich on Thursday, is also fighting for a place in the starting line-up for what already promises to be a crucial early season game for Villa.
After a crushing 4-0 defeat to Brighton on the opening day, there is pressure from the start for Emery and his crew. With Jackson in place, they have at least got a weapon they hope can turn the ship around – and fast!
