Aston Villa are not playing around this summer. In one dramatic 48-hour stretch, Unai Emery’s side confirmed a club-record £65 million deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson and struck a verbal agreement worth around £48 million (€55m) for PSG’s teenage sensation Ibrahim Mbaye. Two Senegal internationals, one bold vision, and a Villa Park faithful buzzing about what comes next.
Nicolas Jackson Completes Club-Record Move to Villa Park
Nicolas Jackson has officially swapped Stamford Bridge for Villa Park, and the numbers alone tell you how serious Emery is about this rebuild. Villa are paying a fixed £47.5 million up front, with the total package rising to £65 million once add-ons kick in, surpassing the £59.5 million they spent on Johan Manzambi earlier in the window. That makes Jackson the most expensive signing in Aston Villa’s history, and Villa have now broken their own transfer record twice in a single summer.
The 25-year-old Senegal striker joins on a five-year deal, reuniting with Emery after their time together at Villarreal, where the manager first fell for his movement and pace in behind defenses. Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring eight Bundesliga goals as the German giants lifted the title, before returning to a Chelsea side that no longer had room for him. Across three seasons at Chelsea, he racked up 30 goals in 81 appearances, including a memorable hat-trick against Tottenham.
Jackson steps in as the direct replacement for Ollie Watkins, who is closing in on a £50 million move to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. Emery did not hide his emotions discussing the departure, admitting he gave Watkins a hug with “small tears” before insisting it is now time for “a new chapter” built around Jackson.
Ibrahim Mbaye: The Teenage Talent Villa Beat Liverpool and Newcastle For
If the Jackson deal was about proven Premier League firepower, the Ibrahim Mbaye pursuit was about pure upside. Villa have reached an agreement in principle with PSG worth roughly €55 million for the 18-year-old winger, fending off serious interest from both Liverpool and Newcastle in the process.
Mbaye is no ordinary teenager. He became the youngest player ever to start a competitive match for PSG, has already logged 42 senior appearances with four goals and four assists, and switched his international allegiance from France to Senegal, where he has become a genuine fixture. He started three matches at the 2026 World Cup and famously scored against France in Senegal’s opening fixture, making him the youngest African player ever to find the net at a World Cup finals.
Interestingly, Mbaye was not Villa’s original plan B. Emery’s side had been chasing AC Milan winger Rafael Leao before the Portuguese forward’s wage demands pushed the deal out of reach, sending him toward Galatasaray instead. Villa pivoted quickly, leaning on the relationship between chairman Nassef Sawiris and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to get the Mbaye deal over the line.
A Summer of Serious Upheaval at Villa Park
These two deals cap off one of the most eventful transfer windows in Aston Villa’s recent history. The club has already lost Morgan Rogers to Chelsea in a record £117 million sale, alongside Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa, and Lucas Digne, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also reportedly heading for the Chelsea exit door. In their place, Villa have brought in Alejandro Garnacho on loan, plus Johan Manzambi, Leon Goretzka, Joao Gomes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Matteo Ruggeri.
Jackson has already been registered in time to face Arsenal, giving Villa fans their first live look at the new-look attack almost immediately.
With Mbaye expected to follow him through the door, Emery now has two Senegal internationals to build his post-Watkins attack around, a striker with proven Premier League goals and a wide talent many believe will be a Ballon d’Or contender within a few years.
For a club coming off a Europa League triumph and preparing for another Champions League campaign, this is Villa stating their intent loud and clear: they are not here to simply defend last season’s success, they are here to build something bigger.
