Aston Villa rebuild on the run: Jackson in, Watkins out, Goretzka arrives as Emery asks fans for patience
Aston Villa have agreed a deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson and were working to register him in time for Monday's Premier League match against Arsenal, as manager Unai Emery rebuilds a squad stripped of several key figures from last season's trophy-winning campaign (BBC Sport).
The Jackson deal — worth up to £65 million, according to Sky Sports — is the direct replacement for Ollie Watkins, the club's record Premier League goalscorer and one of only 12 players to reach 100 goals for Villa. Watkins, 30, was keen on a move to Saudi Arabia and to Al Hilal, and Villa agreed a deal to sell him (Sky Sports). Just three months ago, he described an "indescribable" feeling after Villa ended a 30-year wait for a trophy by winning the Europa League on 20 May 2026 (Aston Villa FC).
His departure was anything but clean. Watkins did not travel to Brighton for a match Villa lost 4-0, and Emery refused to confirm whether the striker had asked not to play (The Athletic). When pressed, Emery said people could "call Watkins or call his agent" (GB News). GB News reported on 25 August that Watkins had apologised to teammates and club staff after returning to training, though the BBC's more recent reporting does not mention any apology.
The Watkins saga is part of a wider exodus. Emery described him as "the latest experienced player to leave" and urged supporters to back the club's strategy (BBC Sport). "We took decisions because it's good for the club," Emery said. "Of course, we don't want to be a club that sells players, but the responsibility is there." He called some of the transfer fees "crazy money for someone 30 years old and £50m for Ezri Konsa" — Konsa being the 28-year-old defender also sold this summer.
Into that gap steps Leon Goretzka, who completed a free transfer from Bayern Munich on Thursday after seven Bundesliga titles and a Champions League winner's medal (BBC Sport). "He is a winner," Emery said of the German midfielder. "Versatile and arrives fit and training well. Hopefully on Monday he can be on the field."
That Monday is Arsenal at home, and Villa's squad will look markedly different from the one that lifted the Europa League in May. Jackson, a 24-year-old Senegal international, is being asked to replace a century of Villa goals. Goretzka, 31, brings pedigree but also the question of how much elite football he has left to give.
For Villa fans, the ask is simple and difficult at once. "We have to rebuild the team as fast as possible," Emery said, and supporters "have to accept our way and why we are taking some decisions." The promise is a squad built to sustain European football. The cost, for now, is watching the players who delivered it walk out the door.
