Villa sign Jackson from Chelsea to bolster attack

Aston Villa have signed Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson on a permanent deal from Chelsea to strengthen an attack depleted by departures. The Premier League club announced the move on Friday, saying the 25-year-old joins permanently as a 37-cap international who represented Senegal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. British reports put the initial fee at £47.5 million (about $64.26 million), with a further £17.5 million in add-ons. Jackson scored 12 LaLiga goals in 26 league matches for Villarreal in 2022-23 under Unai Emery, then netted 30 goals in 81 appearances for Chelsea after joining in 2023, winning the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup. Last season he was on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring 11 and winning the Bundesliga and German Cup. Villa also confirmed Ollie Watkins is set to join Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. Villa open the week hosting champions Arsenal after selling players including Ezri Konsa and Youri Tielemans.