Aston Villa relies on Nicolas Jackson following Ollie Watkins transfer

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has turned to Nicolas Jackson to fill the attacking void left by Ollie Watkins, who completed a move to Al-Hilal this summer. Jackson, a priority signing who previously worked with Emery at Villarreal, has appeared in the club's past two matches including a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal and a draw at Hull City. The transition comes as the club adjusts to a significant overhaul of its scoring core, with departures including Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne, and Youri Tielemans. While Jackson maintains a lower conversion rate than Watkins historically, Emery cited the striker's successful tenure at Bayern Munich as a basis for his confidence in the player. The team now looks to younger talents like Ibrahim Mbaye and recent acquisition Garnacho to facilitate the new attacking structure alongside Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham.

• 1:07 PMYahoo Sports — Trust in Jackson crucial for Emery