Igor Jesus is in the headline here because Aston Villa have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Nicolas Jackson permanently for £65 million. The move sends the 25-year-old back under Unai Emery, while his personal terms at Villa Park are still being finalized.
The package is split, with Aston Villa set to pay £47.5 million initially. Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023 for £32 million, scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for Chelsea, and added 13 goals for Villarreal under Emery.
Unai Emery and Villarreal
Emery already knows Jackson’s game from Villarreal, and that history gives Aston Villa a clearer hand than a cold-market chase. Jackson’s record also gives the deal a firmer sporting case: 25 years old, 37 appearances for Senegal, and eight goals for his country.
The reported fee places the transfer in the top tier of summer business, and Aston Villa and Chelsea in the same window have now pushed through another major move. Aston Villa and Chelsea have already dealt on Morgan Rogers and Alejandro Garnacho, which makes this agreement the third business between the clubs in the summer.
Bayern de Munique spell
Jackson’s recent loan at Bayern de Munique adds one more layer to the move. In the 2025-26 season he played 23 league matches, scored eight goals and made two assists, and made 13 starts across Bundesliga and Champions League matches while Bayern de Munique won its 34th Bundesliga title.
Uli Hoeness said, “the obligation to buy required Jackson to start 40 matches, excluding DFB-Pokal games,” a clause that framed the structure of that loan spell. That detail leaves Aston Villa with a player whose recent minutes, output and transfer history all point to a high-value signing rather than a simple squad addition.
Villa Park terms
The open issue is not the fee but the paperwork around the player himself. Jackson is heading toward Villa Park on a permanent move, yet his personal terms still need to be finished before the transfer is fully settled. For Aston Villa, the next practical step is the contract completion that turns the agreement into a finished registration.
Jackson’s route has already carried him from Villarreal in 2023 to Chelsea, then through Bayern de Munique, and now toward Aston Villa. The £65 million agreement gives Aston Villa the player; the final signatures decide when the move becomes complete.
