Aston Villa reunite Nicolas Jackson with Unai Emery in £65m Chelsea deal

Aston Villa have signed Senegal international Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £65m, according to reports by The Athletic.

The 24-year-old striker has agreed a five-year contract with Villa, with the club holding an option to extend the deal by a further season.

Jackson will work again with manager Unai Emery after the pair previously spent time together at Villarreal. The forward made 27 appearances under Emery, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

The move brings Jackson back to the Premier League after he spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich from Chelsea. He returned to Stamford Bridge at the end of the campaign before completing his transfer to Aston Villa.

The Athletic reported that the overall value of the deal is £65m, with £47.5m to be paid up front.

Jackson joined Chelsea after his spell at Villarreal and made 81 appearances for the London club. He scored 30 goals and registered 12 assists during that period.

He won the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea.

Aston Villa’s agreement with Jackson is the latest in a busy transfer window for the club. Their other additions have been Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Alejandro Garnacho, Leon Goretzka, Modou Keba Cisse, Matteo Ruggeri, Zion Suzuki, Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi.

The signing comes after a difficult start to the new campaign for Emery’s side. Villa opened the season with a 2-1 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.

They were then beaten 4-0 by Brighton in their opening Premier League match.

Villa’s next league fixture is against Arsenal on Monday at Villa Park, in the second round of the Premier League season. Jackson could now be in contention to make his first appearance for his new club, although his involvement will depend on his registration and Emery’s selection.