What will Jackson bring to Villa with Watkins set for exit?
BBC Sport examines what new striker Nicolas Jackson will bring to Aston Villa, with Ollie Watkins looking set to join Al-Hilal.
Nicolas Jackson has finalized his transfer from Chelsea to Aston Villa for a reported £65 million, signing a five-year contract. This move reunites the striker with manager Unai Emery, with whom he previously played at Villarreal in La Liga. The 25-year-old replaces Ollie Watkins, who is set to join Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. Emery announced Jackson's arrival during a press conference ahead of their match against Arsenal.
The Senegalese forward had been training separately from Chelsea's main team, as he was not part of their plans for the season. At Chelsea, Jackson scored 30 goals in 81 appearances since joining in 2023, helping the team secure the Conference League and Club World Cup titles. Initially sidelined under former manager Enzo Maresca, Jackson subsequently went on loan to Bayern Munich last August, with conditions for a permanent transfer not being met.
Watkins' departure from Aston Villa marks the end of the club's reign, as he was the Premier League's top scorer and instrumental in their Europa League victory last season. Despite initially refusing to play in the team's opening Premier League match against Brighton, Watkins later apologized to Emery and his teammates, expressing remorse for his actions.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
