Aston Villa have confirmed the club-record signing of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea and reached a verbal agreement to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye.
The combined deal means Villa have broken their transfer record twice this summer, surpassing the £59.5 million they agreed for Johan Manzambi earlier in the window.
Jackson has joined Villa as a replacement for Ollie Watkins, who is closing in on a £50 million move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.
Watkins, who was left out of Villa’s match against Brighton, is undergoing a medical ahead of his proposed transfer.
Meanwhile, Mbaye’s move from PSG is expected to be completed soon, with the 18-year-old set to undergo a medical this weekend as the final details of his contract are completed.
The transfer is reportedly worth £47 million. Mbaye, who primarily operates on the right wing, made 24 Ligue 1 appearances for PSG last season, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
PSG are set to receive significant income from the sales of Mbaye and Bradley Barcola, who is expected to join Liverpool, with the two deals potentially generating up to £170 million for the French champions.
Villa have undergone major changes this summer, with Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne among those to leave. Watkins and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez could also depart.
Villa have meanwhile added Alejandro Garnacho, Johan Manzambi, Leon Goretzka, Joao Gomes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Matteo Ruggeri and Jackson to their squad.
Manager Unai Emery acknowledged the scale of the changes while discussing Villa’s transfer plans ahead of the September 1 deadline.
“We took some decisions because it’s good for the club,” Emery said. “We don’t want to be a club to sell players, but our responsibility is there. For the club it’s a good deal.”
Emery added that Villa’s priority remains building a competitive squad by balancing experienced players with those who have significant potential.
“I am confident and positive. The players we are signing are good players,” he said. “We need to get balance with experience and players with huge potential.”
The Spanish manager also admitted he would prefer to keep some of the players who could leave but accepted that changes were necessary as the club continues its rebuilding process.
