A new name on the Villa-Chelsea table: Nicolas Jackson

The summer window traffic between Chelsea and Aston Villa has expanded to include another name. According to Nicolo Schira, Aston Villa have opened talks with Chelsea over a move for Nicolas Jackson; Unai Emery believes he can help the player thrive.

The background to these talks is linked to a larger deal between the two clubs. The conversations emerged as part of the negotiations that resulted in Morgan Rogers' £117 million move to Chelsea; according to TeamTalk, Villa also enquired about Alejandro Garnacho during the same discussions.

Emery's interest has deep roots. It is recalled that the head coach knows Jackson from giving him his first-team debut at Villarreal and contributing to his development, having previously described the player's attitude to Sky Sports as "fantastic."

The fee negotiation is also central to this file. According to Football Insider, Chelsea are demanding a fee of £60 million for the 25-year-old striker, though Villa are reported to prefer an initial loan structure before committing to a permanent deal.

The player's recent form also reinforces this interest. It is recalled that Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances, before returning to Chelsea after Bayern chose not to exercise their €65 million purchase option.

However, the file cannot be said to have reached a definitive conclusion. Some sources have also reported that Jackson actually wants to stay at Chelsea to impress new head coach Xabi Alonso — a sign that the process remains open-ended.

Source: Nicolo Schira
Image: Al Jazeera