Nicolas Jackson: Aston Villa complete €55.5m move for Chelsea striker

Senegal and The Gambia forward Nicolas Jackson has joined Aston Villa from Chelsea for €55.5m, giving the Premier League club a new centre-forward on 28 August 2026.

Jackson, 25, arrives at Villa after three seasons with Chelsea, having initially moved to Stamford Bridge from Villarreal for €37m in July 2023. The forward developed in Spain after joining Villarreal’s academy from Casa Sports in Senegal in 2019 and also spent time on loan at Mirandes during the 2020-21 season.

His latest move follows a season that included spells with both Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Jackson joined Bayern on loan in September 2025, with the German club paying a €16.5m loan fee, before returning to Chelsea at the end of June 2026.

During his time in Germany, Jackson was part of the Bayern side that won the German championship and German Cup in the 2025-26 season. He also has a FIFA Club World Cup winners’ medal from 2025 and helped Chelsea win the Conference League in the 2024-25 campaign.

At international level, Jackson represented Senegal at the 2026 World Cup. He played in four matches, starting half of them, and recorded one assist. He joined Villa after the tournament with no Premier League or EFL Cup appearances recorded for the 2026-27 season.

Jackson is a right-footed centre-forward and stands 1.87m tall. His arrival adds a recognised central attacking option to Villa’s squad as the club begins the new Premier League campaign.

The forward’s senior career has included moves between England, Germany and Spain. Before establishing himself at Chelsea, he made the step from Villarreal’s reserve side to the club’s first team in 2022, having returned from his loan with Mirandes the previous year.

Jackson’s Chelsea spell included domestic cup success as the club finished runners-up in the English League Cup in 2023-24, before his temporary move to Bayern gave him the opportunity to compete for honours in Germany.

The transfer to Aston Villa was completed on 28 August 2026.