Aston Villa near £65m agreement to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea
Aston Villa are close to agreeing a transfer to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson in a deal worth up to £65m, with the clubs moving towards terms on 26 August 2026. The proposed structure would see an initial fee of £47.5m plus £17.5m in add-ons, subject to Jackson agreeing personal terms.
Clubs have broadly settled on the financial package and negotiations are described as advanced, though the transfer cannot be completed until Jackson signs personal terms. If the move proceeds, the 25-year-old would reunite with Unai Emery, who previously managed him at Villarreal. Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal for £35m in 2023 and has scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for the Blues.
Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, where he scored 11 goals in 34 games and helped Bayern win the Bundesliga; Chelsea received a £14.3m loan fee from that arrangement. An obligation to buy for £56.2m in the loan contract was not triggered because Jackson did not reach the stipulated requirement of 40 appearances of 45 minutes or more. His most recent appearance for Chelsea came against Fluminense in the 2025 Club World Cup, and he was part of the squad that won the Europa Conference League.
Villa’s interest in Jackson comes amid a wider summer overhaul at the club, which has already brought in Johan Manzambi as a club record signing, midfielder Joao Gomes, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and defender Matteo Ruggeri. Significant outgoing movement has accompanied those arrivals: Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa have left the club, and Emiliano Martinez is expected to depart. The departure of Ollie Watkins to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal is likely to be triggered if Jackson completes his move.
Watkins’ potential exit would mean Villa have sold five members of the starting XI that won the Europa League in May. The club’s transfer activity has therefore involved multiple changes to the side that finished the previous campaign, with Jackson poised to become the most recent addition if terms are finalised.
Chelsea’s squad planning includes further activity: fellow forward Liam Delap is also likely to leave the Blues after a £50m fee was agreed with Nottingham Forest. In parallel, Chelsea have held talks over Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, 18, who is valued at £34.3m by the Italian club.
Chelsea are also weighing a move for Emiliano Martinez, described in reports as surplus to requirements following Villa’s signing of Zion Suzuki from Parma. That potential approach remains separate from the Jackson discussions.
The proposed Jackson transfer remains conditional on personal terms being agreed; if completed, it is expected to prompt Watkins’ switch to Al-Hilal and represent the latest alteration to Villa’s squad as the clubs finalise their summer business.
