Aston Villa Close In on Nicolas Jackson and Ibrahim Mbaye

Aston Villa are closing in on moves for Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson and Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye as manager Unai Emery rebuilds his attacking options. The Guardian reported on Friday that Villa hope to complete Jackson's transfer in time for him to be available against Arsenal on Monday, while the club is also finalising a deal for Mbaye. Neither move has been formally confirmed.

Watch the highlights:

Jackson is set to cost an initial £47.5 million, according to the report, with add-ons potentially taking the fee to a club-record £65 million. Emery identified the Senegal international as his leading target to replace Ollie Watkins. The Villa manager described Jackson's expected arrival as the beginning of a new chapter for the club.

Mbaye, an 18-year-old winger who plays alongside Jackson for Senegal, is another player Villa have tracked for some time. His pursuit addresses a position Emery wanted to strengthen. The Guardian also reported that Villa recently tried to sign Rafael Leão from AC Milan, but the Portugal international is poised to move to Galatasaray instead.

The planned additions follow Watkins's decision to reject a new Villa contract in favour of a £50 million move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. Emery said Watkins apologised to him and his teammates after refusing to play in Villa's 4-0 defeat at Brighton last weekend. The manager said the apology had been accepted and argued that the episode should not overshadow the striker's contribution to the club.

Watkins leaves as Villa's leading scorer of the Premier League era, having registered 91 goals in 221 league appearances. Emery said he was disappointed by the player's refusal to feature at Brighton but stressed that one mistake did not erase four years of strong professionalism and commitment. He also called the £50 million fee a good deal for Villa, given that Watkins turns 31 in December.

Villa are now trying to integrate several changes before facing Arsenal. Leon Goretzka, signed from Bayern Munich on Thursday, could make his debut, while goalkeeper Zion Suzuki may also feature for the first time after joining from Parma for £30 million. Emery acknowledged that Villa must improve sharply after the Brighton loss and said the club's objectives remain unchanged despite a busy period of squad turnover.