Aston Villa are reportedly set to announce the signing of Nicolas Jackson imminently after a deal worth £65m has been sealed with Chelsea.
The changes to Unai Emery’s squad continue ahead of the summer transfer window deadline, as with Ollie Watkins expected to complete a move to Al Hilal, Villa needed to move quickly to replace him and add much-needed firepower up front.
While speculation has linked us with various targets, and continues to do so regardless of this deal, Villa have seemingly secured their priority solution to now lead the line for Emery moving forward.
READ MORE: Villa’s early-season woes return after chastening Brighton defeat
WATCH: How shambolic Villa defending led to heavy Brighton defeat
Subscribe to Talk Villa+ below for ad-free weekly newsletters, exclusive articles and much more sent directly to you. The TalkVilla podcast is also now available, have a listen, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or YouTube. UTV!
According to Fabrizio Romano, Jackson has completed his medical and has signed his Villa contract, and so now it would appear to be a simple case of waiting for the official announcement from the club to confirm the transfer.
He adds that the move will be worth £65m, and so with the Watkins deal touted to be worth around £50m, it’s smart business from Villa as we continue to rebuild and hope that we’ve found a long-term successor for our soon-to-be talisman with Emery sealing a reunion with Jackson after their previous stint working together at Villarreal.
The Senegalese international scored 13 goals and provided six assists in 48 appearances for the La Liga side, while he managed 30 goals and 12 assists in 81 outings for Chelsea, and during his loan spell at Bayern Munich last season, he contributed 11 goals and four assists in 34 games.
So, while he might not be a prolific option up front, he certainly knows how to provide a real treat in the final third, and combined with the talent that we already have in our squad and who could yet be added to the mix, it’s an exciting addition and one which Emery will no doubt be delighted to get over the line.
As noted above, perhaps the biggest red mark against the forward is that he hasn’t been clinical enough through his career and particularly during his time in England, and so hopefully Emery can continue to develop his game and ensure that he becomes a key figure in our future success as at 25, he certainly still has his peak years of his career ahead of him.
