Aston Villa's New Chapter with Nicolas Jackson
Unai Emery wipes away a tear, then turns the page. Aston Villa do the same.
The Villa manager expects Nicolas Jackson to complete his £47.5m move from Chelsea in time to face Arsenal on Monday night, a rapid reboot after the emotional, messy end to Ollie Watkins’s time at the club. The deal for Jackson could rise to a club-record £65m with add-ons, and for Emery it signals what he repeatedly called “a new chapter”.
That chapter has opened only because the last one ended with a jolt.
Watkins, Villa’s Premier League-era record goalscorer with 91 goals in 221 league appearances, has rejected a new contract and is heading for a £50m move to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. The transfer has yet to be formally confirmed, but its impact is already being felt at Bodymoor Heath.
Most of all, it was felt at Brighton.
Watkins refused to play in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat at the Amex, leaving Villa without a recognised striker. Emery did not hide how deeply that cut him, even as he rushed to protect the legacy of a player he plainly admires.
“I can tell you his commitment and his behaviour was fantastic always,” Emery said. Watkins apologised to his manager and teammates after the game, admitting he had made a mistake. The dressing room, Emery insisted, accepted that apology because of the credit Watkins had built up over four years.
“For me, he is a fantastic guy, even more fantastic a guy than a player,” Emery said. “I told him bye with a huge hug and a small tear but now it’s a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson. A new chapter, we replace him and of course all the best to Watkins in Saudi. With Nicolas Jackson replacing him, we are of course happy.”
The manner of the departure would normally risk souring a bond with supporters. Emery pushed back on that idea with conviction. One bad decision, he argued, cannot wipe out four seasons of goals, graft and growth.
“The four years working with him have been a high-level relationship with him as a professional,” he said. “Last week I was a little bit disappointed. I was disappointed, but we spoke about it, and now clear. One mistake is not closing all the good things he did here. For the supporters as well. He is class, and I think it’s a legacy here.”
Now comes the hard part: proving that Villa can move on as quickly as the market demands.
Arsenal, the champions, arrive on Monday. The memory of Brighton’s 4-0 dismantling is still raw. Emery knows his side cannot afford a repeat if they are to avoid back-to-back defeats at the start of a crucial stretch.
“Maybe we are not performing like we were performing but the objective is to get to the same way we did, the same performances we had,” he said. “We will need time. Last year we showed we needed time. On Monday we will see [whether] we will need more time or if some players are progressing quickly.”
Those players now include Leon Goretzka. The Germany international has arrived from Bayern Munich and could make his debut against Arsenal, a major midfield addition dropped straight into one of the toughest fixtures on the calendar.
Behind him, there is likely to be change in goal. Zion Suzuki, signed from Parma for £30m, is in line for a first appearance with Emiliano Martínez close to sealing a £7.5m move to Chelsea. Another cornerstone of Emery’s project is on his way out; another newcomer is being asked to grow up fast.
The churn is not confined to Villa Park. Stamford Bridge is braced for a frantic finish to the window.
Chelsea, while edging towards a deal for Martínez, are also working through midfield options as they wait for Manchester City to finally act on their interest in Enzo Fernández. City have not yet made formal contact over the Argentina international, but Fernández is desperate to leave before Tuesday night’s deadline and the tension is rising.
Chelsea’s stance is blunt. There will be no cut-price exit. Although there have been suggestions a deal might land close to the £106.7m they paid, club sources insist he will only be allowed to go if their terms are met, and warn City may have to go beyond the initial £120m asking price to get him out of west London.
That uncertainty has pushed Chelsea towards contingency planning. Lamine Camara of Monaco is on a midfield shortlist that also includes Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. Camara, a Senegal international, is not viewed as a like-for-like replacement for Fernández but as a way to bolster Xabi Alonso’s options should the World Cup winner walk through the exit.
The market, though, is pushing back. Bournemouth have made it clear they do not want to sell Scott. Palace have delivered the same message over Wharton. Arsenal, for their part, are understood to have rejected an enquiry for Martín Zubimendi.
So the clock ticks, the numbers rise, and the pressure builds — on City to pay up, on Chelsea to hold their line, on Villa to prove that one era can end and another begin without losing momentum.
Emery has his new striker, almost. He has his memories of Watkins and his belief in legacy. On Monday night, against the champions, we find out how quickly that “new chapter” can start to read like the old one.
