Aston Villa will look to sign 25-year-old Senegalese international Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in the coming days.
According to a report by Football Insider, Nicolas Jackson remains the subject of interest from Aston Villa. The Villans are eager to bolster their offensive unit by signing a striker in the final days of the ongoing transfer window, and they have their sights set on the 25-year-old out-of-favour Chelsea centre-forward.
Per Football Insider, Aston Villa would prefer not to pay Chelsea’s asking price of £65 million to sign the former Villarreal attacker this summer. They are thus working to secure a discounted deal to sign Jackson, with a loan deal with a purchase obligation clause also an option for the West Midlands outfit.
Nicolas Jackson and his situation
Nicolas Jackson’s Chelsea career has been uneven since his July 2023 arrival from Villarreal for £32 million. While the 25-year-old was impressive in his first two seasons with the West London club, his situation changed after they signed Joao Pedro and Liam Delap last summer. He spent the 2025/26 season with Bayern Munich on a season-long loan deal.
The Senegalese international was a backup option for Die Roten, recording 11 goals and 4 assists in 1,320 minutes of game time. His tally offers solid evidence of a capable striker, even in a secondary role, making him an attractive prospect for Villa. Jackson has not completed a permanent move to Bayern Munich, and he will never play again for Chelsea, with the West London club eager to part ways with him after signing Danny Welbeck this year.
What next?
Nicolas Jackson has been on Aston Villa’s wishlist for several months. The continued interest makes sense, as the Villans are concerned about Ollie Watkins’s long-term future. The English international is a target for Al-Hilal, and recent reports have claimed that he wants to move to the Saudi Pro League.
The situation has become tense over the past week, with Unai Emery making snarky comments when pressed on the Englishman’s absence from the matchday squad for the game between Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League opener. So, the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League winners are eager to land Jackson.
Meanwhile, the report by Football Insider corroborates recent suggestions that Chelsea will demand around £65 million to part ways with Jackson. However, Aston Villa can leverage his squad status to drive down the valuation. This explains the West Midlands club’s reluctance to meet Chelsea’s asking price and their pursuit of a discounted deal or loan option with an obligation clause.