Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has spoken about his collapsed move to Aston Villa
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has opened up about the transfer saga that almost saw him reunite with former boss Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
Jackson has made a stunning start under new boss Enzo Maresca, scoring eight goals in the Premier League. He came under fire at times during his debut campaign but ended the season with 17 goals across all competitions and looks to have reached another level this term.
The 23-year-old star initially made his name at Villarreal under Emery, who handed the Senegal international his La Liga debut. In 2022, Jackson became the club's first-choice forward, finishing his breakthrough campaign with 12 goals in 26 league games. He ended the season in spectacular fashion but was on the verge of joining Bournemouth in January 2023 before eventually signing for Chelsea that summer.
A hamstring injury seemingly stopped Jackson's career taking a different path. However, the striker has revealed that he originally planned to reunite with Emery at Villa Park before the move collapsed.
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"When Unai left, he wanted me to go to Aston Villa, but I was injured," Jackson said. "I wanted to leave because the coach came in. I had to go, but I was injured a little bit in my hamstring. We went there, they checked and said I needed one more month and they want me now.
"If they want me in one week, two weeks, I was not ready, so they had to cancel the transfer, and I went back.
"When I went back, I was very angry," he said. "Not angry I didn't sign because when we were on the plane, I told my friend, 'Don't worry, better things will come and that's life.' Then I started working more to play with Villarreal. When I came back, I think I scored 12 goals in two months."
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Nicolas Jackson scored against Aston Villa earlier this season
In his final season at Villarreal, Jackson scored nine in his last eight games and was also on AC Milan's radar before deciding to join Chelsea. Jackson believes that his transfer setbacks played a crucial role in shaping him into the player he is today, now thriving under Enzo Maresca.
"I think that's the most important thing in life, that the people that you have near you, especially football players, are people that try to help you to be the best, not do whatever you want," Jackson explained. "I was flying for that two or three months [with Villarreal], I was scoring every weekend.
"After that, I knew what I had to do to be what I wanted to be. Then I came to Chelsea and it's a different club, with the pressure and everything, but now I'm feeling better and as I'm playing I'm getting more experience."
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