Aston Villa boss Unai Emeryplaceholder image
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery | Getty Images
Aston Villa may well be back in the Champions League next term - and a new striker could help them compete.
Aston Villa are in the top four in the Premier League along with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. They missed out on the Champions League on the final day of last season. However, they look well on their way to getting back into Europe’s top competition this time around.
Unai Emery’s side are back in action this weekend with a fixture against Leeds United at home. They lost 3-1 against Newcastle United at Villa Park last time out in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Tammy Abraham got their goal against the Magpies before Marco Bizot was sent off.
Aston Villa eye Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson this summer
Aston Villa are being linked with a summer swoop for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, as per TEAMtalk. The report adds that Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are all interested in a move for the player at the end of this season. He is currently away on loan at Bayern Munich and his future is up in the air.
Jackson, 24, is a Senegal international with 31 caps to his name. He has been on the books at Stamford Bridge since 2023 and has since scored 30 goals in 81 games in all competitions, 13 of which came in the last campaign. The attacker has managed to find the net on five occasions in 22 outings since his move to the Allianz Arena but it remains to be seen whether Bayern want to land him permanently.
If the Bundesliga giants opt against a full-time switch in the next window, the door will swing open for the likes of Aston Villa to make an approach. He remains under contract at Chelsea until 2033. However, it is yet to be known right now whether he is part of Liam Rosenior’s plans.
Fabrizio Romano suggested last summer that Aston Villa wanted Jackson wrote for For GiveMeSport: “In the last 48 hours, Aston Villa have made huge efforts to sign Jackson with Unai Emery driving their interest. He was Nico’s coach at Villarreal and would love to reunite with Jackson in the Premier League, but no Champions League football could be a factor to consider with Jackson assessing all his options ahead of a final decision.”
Why Chelsea attacker Nicolas Jackson would be perfect for Aston Villa
Aston Villa brought in Abraham last month to add competition to their attacking department. They need to start thinking about long-term replacements for Ollie Watkins though. At the age of 30, he won’t be able to lead their way forever.
Jackson is six years younger than Watkins and would be a shrewd addition for Emery’s side. He has proved that he can score goals in this country in the past. If he was snapped up, he would add more firepower to their options at the top end of the pitch.
He made his name at Villarreal after joining the La Liga club as a teenager. The attacker subsequently rose up through their academy and was a regular at various different youth levels before breaking into the first-team. Jackson went on to fire 13 goals in 48 outings before Chelsea came calling.
A change of scene now to Aston Villa would do him good ahead of the next campaign. His switch to Bayern Munich hasn’t quite gone to plan and it would make sense for Rosenior to sell him when he returns from Germany. His next team remains unknown at this stage and he will be weighing up his options as he faces a big decision in his career.
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