Nicolas Jackson

Nicolas Jackson gives a defence two different problems. He can sprint behind it, but he also comes towards the ball to hold off a marker and bring a teammate into the move. His willingness to drift into a wider channel can open another route forward, while his pressing starts the work of winning possession back.

His route into European football began at Casa Sports in Senegal before he joined Villarreal in September 2019. A loan at Mirandés gave him experience in Spain's second division, and he then played for Villarreal's B team. He built his experience across youth, reserve and senior football.

One of his defining early nights came in June 2022. Jackson scored both goals as Villarreal B beat Nàstic 2–0 in the promotion final, sending the reserves into the second division. He subsequently established himself in Villarreal's senior attack and moved to Chelsea in June 2023.

Learning where to stand was part of that development. Jackson has explained that he began as a forward who liked dropping deeper, then learned at Villarreal to stay closer to the opposition goal when the team needed a central striker. His game combines that instinct to join the passing with the threat of a run beyond the last defender.

At Chelsea, Jackson scored in the 2025 Conference League final against Real Betis. He was also part of the squad that won the Club World Cup that summer. His finish against Betis put a personal stamp on a season that brought two trophies.

A season-long loan took him to Bayern Munich in September 2025, and he contributed to their 2025/26 Bundesliga title. In August 2026 he joined Aston Villa permanently from Chelsea, linking up again with Unai Emery, who had coached him at Villarreal.

For Senegal, Jackson's senior international debut came at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He played for Senegal at the 2026 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the round of 32 by Belgium, who won 3–2 after extra time.

Latest stats & form

Match coverage through 3 November 2026 · club and country

Nicolas Jackson is listed as a striker for Aston Villa. Across 15 covered appearances for club and country in 2026/27, he has 9 goals and 1 assist in 1,141 minutes, with 14 starts. That is 0.79 goals and assists combined per 90 minutes. His last 5 covered official appearances for club and country, from 17 October 2026 to 3 November 2026, produced 3 goals and 0 assists. Across the season coverage, 21 of his 37 recorded shots were on target.