Aston Villa have completed the signing of Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in a deal reported to be worth a club-record £65 million ($88 million).

The 25-year-old has agreed a five-year contract with the Europa League holders and reunites with manager Unai Emery, having previously worked together at Villarreal.

Emery revealed Jackson's imminent arrival during his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of Monday's clash with Arsenal. Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich.

Jackson joins Villa Park as a replacement for Ollie Watkins, whose £50 million ($68 million) move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal is being finalized.

Jackson had been training separately from Chelsea's squad after being told he was not in the plans of Blues boss Xabi Alonso. He leaves Chelsea having scored 30 goals in 81 appearances since joining in 2023, helping the club win the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup.

Jackson was initially frozen out by former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca last season. While on loan at Bayern Munich, he scored 11 goals and won the Bundesliga and German Cup. He has also earned 37 caps for Senegal and was part of their squads for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.

Watkins' impending departure, also confirmed by Emery, means he will follow Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne out of Villa Park.

The 30-year-old, who is the club's top Premier League scorer, reportedly refused to play in last weekend's 4-0 defeat at Brighton before his move to Saudi Arabia.

Source: www.aljazeera.com