Aston Villa Signs Nicolas Jackson as Ollie Watkins Moves to Al Hilal

Aston Villa has reached an agreement to sign striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea, who is expected to take the place of Ollie Watkins as he prepares for a move to Al Hilal.

The deal, reported by The Athletic, is valued at up to £65 million, with an initial payment of £47.5 million and an additional £17.5 million in performance-related add-ons. Watkins is set to leave Villa for a £50 million transfer to Al Hilal.

This transfer marks a significant change for Villa, which recently saw other players like Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa depart. Watkins, who has scored 108 goals in 278 appearances since joining from Brentford in 2020, was absent from the squad during Villa's recent 4-0 loss to Brighton. Jackson, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, scored 11 goals in 34 matches there and will aim to find consistency under Villa's manager Unai Emery.