Emery’s New Chapter with Nicolas Jackson at Aston Villa
Unai Emery wipes away a tear, then turns the page. Aston Villa’s manager is braced to lose his record Premier League goalscorer, but already has the man he believes can lead a new era.
Emery’s “new chapter” with Jackson
Emery expects Nicolas Jackson to complete his £47.5m move from Chelsea in time to feature against Arsenal on Monday night. The deal, which could rise to a club‑record £65m with add-ons, has been driven by the need to replace Ollie Watkins, who has chosen a £50m switch to Al-Hilal over signing a new contract at Villa Park. Neither transfer has been formally announced, but the mood in the Villa camp has already shifted.
“For me, he is a fantastic guy, an even more fantastic a guy than a player,” Emery said of Watkins. The Spaniard admitted Watkins’s exit “reduced him to tears” and that the England striker said sorry to the dressing room after refusing to play in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat at Brighton, a decision that left Villa without a recognised striker.
“He told us after the match he was sorry and he told us that he made a mistake, that he was wrong,” Emery explained. “We accepted it, the players as well, because he always had very good behaviour and commitment with the club, with us and with me.”
Emery’s farewell was emotional, but not bitter. “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.”
Watkins’s legacy and the Villa support
The manner of Watkins’s departure – downing tools before a heavy defeat and then heading for Saudi Arabia – might usually threaten to stain a reputation. Emery refuses to let that happen.
Watkins leaves as Villa’s record scorer in the Premier League era, with 91 goals in 221 league games. For Emery, one bad decision does not erase four years of service.
“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.”
Villa now need that legacy to fuel the next phase, not haunt it.
Arsenal test and new faces
Brighton exposed a Villa side in transition. Arsenal, the champions, offer an even harsher examination on Monday.
Emery knows the standard must rise quickly. “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 “some players” include two fresh arrivals. Leon Goretzka, signed from Bayern Munich on Thursday, could make his debut against Arsenal. Zion Suzuki is also in line for a first appearance after his £30m move from Parma, with Emiliano Martínez close to sealing a £7.5m transfer to Chelsea.
If paperwork and fitness align, Villa could face Arsenal with a new goalkeeper, a new midfielder and a new centre-forward. For Emery, the rebuild is happening at speed, whether he likes it or not.
Chelsea juggle exits and reinforcements
While Villa reshape their attack, Chelsea are trying to hold their midfield together long enough to extract maximum value.
As they close in on Martínez, the club have also explored a move for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara while waiting for Manchester City to show their hand over Enzo Fernández. City have not yet made official contact over the Argentina international, but Fernández is desperate to leave before Tuesday night’s deadline.
Chelsea are weighing up their options. Camara sits on a shortlist that also includes Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. The Senegal international would not be a like-for-like replacement for Fernández but is viewed as someone who could bolster Xabi Alonso’s midfield if City finally meet Chelsea’s demands.
That will not be easy. Although suggestions have circulated that a deal for Fernández could come close to the £106.7m Chelsea paid for him, the club insist he will only go if their terms are met. Sources have indicated City may have to go beyond the initial £120m asking price for the 25-year-old.
Chelsea have already run into resistance elsewhere. Bournemouth are determined not to sell Scott and have made that clear. Palace have taken the same stance with Wharton. Arsenal are also understood to have rejected an enquiry for Martín Zubimendi.
So Chelsea wait. For City’s bid. For Fernández’s future to crystallise. For a market that has pushed Villa into a tearful farewell and a record outlay on Jackson to throw up the next big move before the window slams shut.
