Watkins out, Jackson in: Aston Villa starts the season with a new striker up front

Nicolas Jackson is Aston Villa's record signing and Ollie Watkins' replacement. (Image credits – CommonsWikipedia, License Details)

Aston Villa have made a huge decision by replacing Ollie Watkins with Nicolas Jackson, arriving from Chelsea, while Watkins heads for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

This is one of the biggest shuffles in Unai Emery’s frontline. Villa has confirmed the signing of Jackson in a club record deal worth around £65 million, with £47.5 million set to be paid immediately and a further £17.5 million to be paid via add-ons.

This deal surpassed the £59.5 million deal for Johan Manzambi earlier this summer, making the Senegal international’s signing the most expensive one in the club's history.

This move also reunites Jackson with Unai Emery, as he had previously worked with the Spanish boss at Villareal, where Emery had given him his La Liga debut in 2021.

It was an important factor behind Villa’s decision to pursue the 25-year-old, especially after Watkins’ departure became likely. Jackson arrives in Birmingham after a topsy-turvy spell at Chelsea.

He joined the London giants from Villarreal in 2023 and established himself as a solid no. 9. However, he slowly became inconsistent, and his future became uncertain in Chelsea, due to which he spent the last season on loan at Bayern Munich.

His loan deal had an obligation to buy, but Bayern did not trigger that clause, as he didn't reach enough number of appearances.

Now, he has received another opportunity to prove himself in the Premier League. This is actually a big opportunity, as Aston Villa has lost one of their most important players of the Unai Emery era, and Jackson is going to replace him as the forward.

Ollie Watkins is leaving Villa for Al-Hilal in a deal worth £50 million. Unai Emery had initially rejected the move, but the player's desire to move to Saudi Arabia ultimately sealed his fate, and the deal was completed.

Watkins leaves a huge legacy in Aston Villa as he became the club's all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League, scoring 91 goals.

Across all competitions, the Englishman had bagged 108 goals in 277 appearances for the club, establishing him as one of the most influential players in the club's history.

Therefore, Jackson’s arrival begins the new phase of Unai Emery's sporting project at the club. The Spanish boss has also acknowledged it as the beginning of a new chapter for the club.

The Saudi move offers Watkins a completely different challenge, while his replacement, Jackson, arrives carrying the pressure of being both the club's record signing and also Watkins' replacement.