Aston Villa Near Deal for Chelsea Striker Nicolas Jackson

Aston Villa are closing in on a deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson in a move that could reshape both clubs’ seasons – and potentially send Ollie Watkins to Saudi Arabia.

Villa are understood to have reached broad agreement with Chelsea on a package worth up to £65m for the 25-year-old, matching the London club’s asking price. The structure is clear: £47.5m up front, with a further £17.5m in add-ons taking the total towards that headline figure.

The final hurdle is personal terms. Talks are advanced, and if Jackson signs off on the contract, he will be reunited with Unai Emery, the coach who first trusted him at Villarreal and helped launch his rise in Europe.

Watkins exit looming

Jackson’s arrival would not just be another big swing in Villa’s ambitious rebuild. It is expected to open the door for Watkins to join Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, a move that would have seemed unthinkable for Villa fans only a few months after their Europa League triumph.

If Watkins goes, Villa will have sold five members of the starting XI that lifted that trophy in May. The churn has been brutal.

Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa have already departed. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is also expected to leave, with Chelsea weighing up a move for the Argentina international after signing Zion Suzuki from Parma and effectively pushing Martinez towards the exit.

This is not a gentle evolution. It is a full-scale reset.

Emery’s new-look Villa

Jackson would join an increasingly expensive and intriguing cast at Villa Park. Record signing Johan Manzambi has already come through the door, along with midfielder Joao Gomes, goalkeeper Suzuki and defender Matteo Ruggeri.

Emery is building a side in his own image: aggressive, flexible, and unafraid of risk. Jackson fits that profile. He joined Chelsea from Villarreal for £35m in 2023 and has scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for the Blues.

His last outing in a Chelsea shirt came on the global stage, against Fluminense in the Club World Cup in 2025. He has already tasted European success with the London club too, lifting the Europa Conference League.

Last season, Chelsea sent him on loan to Bayern Munich. In Germany he produced 11 goals in 34 games and played his part in Bayern’s Bundesliga title win. Chelsea collected a £14.3m loan fee from that deal, but a permanent transfer never materialised. An obligation to buy for £56.2m depended on Jackson making 40 appearances of at least 45 minutes; he fell short, and Bayern walked away.

Villa are now moving into that space, paying more than Bayern’s option but gaining a striker entering his peak years and already well-versed in the demands of top-level football.

Chelsea’s own reshuffle

While Villa reshape their attack, Chelsea are quietly overhauling theirs.

Jackson’s expected departure is one part of that. Another is Liam Delap. The young forward is also set to move on, with Chelsea having agreed a £50m fee with Nottingham Forest for the striker.

At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea are not standing still. Talks are ongoing with Atalanta over 18-year-old defender Honest Ahanor, valued at £34.3m by the Italian club, as they look to refresh their back line for the long term.

For Villa, Jackson would be the spearhead of a new era. For Chelsea, his sale is another piece in a complex rebuild.

If the final details fall into place and Watkins heads for Riyadh, the question will be simple: has Villa’s bold gamble made them stronger, or have they torn apart a winning team in search of something even bigger?