Aston Villa are on the verge of completing a deal worth up to £65m for Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, with the two clubs said to have reached broad agreement on terms. Chelsea are expected to receive their asking price, structured as an initial £47.5m payment plus £17.5m in potential add-ons.
The move remains contingent on Jackson agreeing personal terms, but talks between the parties are understood to be at an advanced stage. Should the transfer go through, the 25-year-old Senegal international would be reunited with Unai Emery, who previously managed him at Villarreal before taking charge at Villa Park.
Jackson's arrival at Villa is widely expected to pave the way for Ollie Watkins to depart the club for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal. Reports suggest Villa moved for Jackson after it became apparent Watkins was keen to leave, effectively triggering a chain of business between the clubs' respective forward lines.
Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023 for £35m and went on to score 30 goals in 81 appearances for the west London club, also winning the Europa Conference League during his time at Stamford Bridge. His final outing for Chelsea came against Fluminense at the Club World Cup in 2025.
Last season, Jackson spent time on loan at Bayern Munich, netting 11 goals in 34 appearances as the German giants claimed the Bundesliga title. Chelsea collected a £14.3m loan fee from that arrangement, though a £56.2m obligation to make the move permanent was not activated because Jackson did not reach the required 40 appearances of at least 45 minutes. Napoli were also said to have held interest in the striker but were deterred by Chelsea's £65m valuation.
The potential sale of Jackson forms part of a broader reshaping of Chelsea's attacking options under manager Xabi Alonso. Liam Delap is also poised to leave Stamford Bridge, with Nottingham Forest having agreed a fee that could rise to £50m, reportedly structured as £45m upfront plus £5m in add-ons. Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m just a year ago, meaning the club stands to make a healthy profit on the deal, of which Ipswich are due to receive around 15 percent under a sell-on arrangement.
Forward Marc Guiu is another attacking player expected to depart before the transfer window closes, with the 20-year-old reportedly weighing loan and permanent offers from clubs in Italy, Germany and Spain. Napoli are among the sides interested in signing Guiu outright, with Chelsea seeking a fee in the region of £25m for the former Barcelona youngster.
For Villa, Jackson would represent the latest addition in a summer of significant squad turnover under Emery. The club has already brought in record signing Johan Manzambi, midfielder Joao Gomes, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and defender Matteo Ruggeri. However, departures have been just as notable, with Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa all leaving the club already. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is also expected to move on, with Chelsea reportedly considering a swoop for the Argentine now that Suzuki has arrived from Parma.
Should Watkins also depart for Saudi Arabia, Villa will have sold five members of the starting eleven that lifted the Europa League trophy back in May, underlining the scale of the rebuild taking place at Villa Park this summer.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport and the Standard.