Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery (Image: PA)
Nicolas Jackson has revealed how close he came to joining Aston Villa in January 2023, before his move to Chelsea from Villarreal.
Jackson has made an excellent 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.
Villa boss Emery handed the Senegal international his La Liga debut and in 2022, Jackson became the club's first-choice forward, finishing his breakthrough campaign with 12 goals in 26 league games. Before bagging nine in his last eight league games of 2022/23, he came close to joining Villa before a move to Bournemouth also fell through.
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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."
He added: "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."