Aston Villa could attempt to land Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson before the summer window closes, according to reports – with the Senegalese attacker having ‘told friends’ he would like to swap west London for the west Midlands within the next two weeks.
Jackson has been a regular contributor under both Enzo Maresca and Mauricio Pochettino during his spell at Stamford Bridge, but with constant changes taking place in the capital’s transfer market, he has fallen down the order – which could result in a move to last season’s Champions League quarter-finalists.
According to Football Insider, Jackson has informed friends of his desire to join Villa this summer, with the Midlands club having shown firm interest in capturing the striker ahead of the deadline.
The side lost Jhon Duran in January when he joined Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr, leaving Ollie Watkins as the only recognised centre-forward in the squad, despite Donyell Malen and Morgan Rogers both being capable of filling in upfront when required.
Still, Jackson would arrive as a proven Premier League player, having impressed in two seasons with Chelsea. A return of 24 goals from 65 league appearances is solid, and with six strikes in 16 games in other competitions, he could be the ideal rotation partner for Watkins, the club’s all-time leading Premier League scorer.
Due to their pursuit, the Midlands club are now favourites to finalise a transfer, especially given Jackson’s preference to reunite with Unai Emery, under whom he played at Villarreal prior to securing his Chelsea switch.
Reports suggest the Blues have set an £80 million valuation on the Senegal striker, even though he sits behind summer arrivals Joao Pedro and Liam Delap in the selection order – while Villa are prepared to pay closer to £60 million. However, player pressure and the attraction of working again with his former manager could heavily influence Jackson’s decision with little time left in the market.
With the Birmingham outfit preparing for Europa League action next season, Villa need proper cover for Watkins if they hope to succeed in both domestic and continental competitions, and Jackson would be a strong option to achieve that goal.
