Nicolas Jackson looks set to leave Chelsea this summer as a big-money deal is agreed for the Senegalese striker who does not appear to be part of Xabi Alonso's plans
Nicolas Jackson applauds
Nicolas Jackson has never quite convinced at Chelsea(Image: PA)
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Aston Villa are close to securing a £65million deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, football.london understands. The forward is understood to be open to joining the Birmingham-based club to reunite with his former Villarreal boss Unai Emery.
The Blues have been open to allowing Jackson to leave, with the player having trained away from Xabi Alonso's first-team squad at Cobham. The Senegal international spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, where he impressed in spells but did not do enough to convince Vincent Kompany's side to sign him permanently.
The Athletic claim that Villa will pay £47.5m upfront for Jackson, for whom terms at Villa Park are in the process of being finalised. The 25-year-old is said to have been a long-standing target for the Villans.
It would be the third time the clubs have done business this summer, with Morgan Rogers heading to Stamford Bridge in a club-record £117m transfer, while Alejandro Garnacho later joined Villa on a season-long loan, with a conditional obligation to buy.
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The forward enjoyed the best spell of his career under Emery at Villarreal, where he scored 13 goals before joining Chelsea in the summer of 2023.
Jackson arrived in west London in a £32m deal, signing an eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge, and has gone on to score 30 goals in 81 appearances.
Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea
Nicolas Jackson looks set to leave Chelsea(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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The Senegalese is not the only Chelsea striker set to leave. Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement in the region of £45m for the 23-year-old.
Elsewhere, Marc Guiu is expected to depart on a permanent basis, according to Chelsea sources. The Blues are also trying to find a permanent home for outcast David Datro Fofana.
Forward Mykhailo Mudryk, meanwhile, is expected to leave Chelsea on loan before the end of the transfer window, with interest from several clubs in the Premier League and Europe.
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The Blues are in talks with Leeds United over a deal, but rejected the Whites' first offer as it was well below the terms they are prepared to accept.
Mudryk was cleared to return to competitive football after his doping case was resolved with the Football Association.
The Ukraine international has not played a competitive game since November 2024, and Chelsea are keen to get him minutes out on loan this season.