Nicolas Jackson has made it clear that scoring goals will be his main priority after completing his permanent move from Chelsea to Aston Villa this weekend.
The Senegal international has joined Villa following two years at Stamford Bridge, bringing an end to a spell in west London that produced moments of promise but also periods of frustration.
Jackson arrived at Chelsea from Villarreal in June 2023 and quickly established himself as one of the club’s main attacking options. His pace, physicality and ability to run in behind defences made him a dangerous presence, while his willingness to press and link play also fitted the demands of modern Premier League football.
However, consistency in front of goal remained a talking point throughout his CHELSEA career. The striker showed flashes of his finishing ability but was unable to establish himself as a consistently prolific goalscorer in the way many supporters had hoped.
Now, with a fresh challenge at Villa Park, Jackson is determined to change that.
The 25-year-old has admitted that he wants to score a lot of goals for his new club, setting himself an ambitious target as he prepares to begin the next chapter of his career: “He (Emery) was a big factor when I arrived in Spain,” reflected Jackson
“He’s been very important to me since the beginning; he’s always asking about my family. He developed me in Villarreal, and I’m very happy to be here and working for him again.
“We will work and try to push together as always, trying to achieve things together like we did in Villarreal. Hopefully this year we will achieve many things, and for many more years to come as well.”
He added: “With the coach, I’ve known him for a long time. With him calling me and from talking to him, he explained the project to me.
“I like the project so much, and that’s why I’m here. Hopefully we can do a lot of things together.”
CHELSEA have avoided keeping an expensive asset who appeared unlikely to feature regularly under Xabi Alonso. Jackson’s time at Stamford Bridge showed flashes of quality, but his consistency in front of goal and decision-making remained points of debate.
Getting a fee potentially worth more than double the original investment allows Chelsea to redirect funds towards players who better fit Alonso’s tactical vision.
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