Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is keen to reunite with Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson – and he's willing to offload star striker Ollie Watkins to make it happen. Emery previously worked with Jackson at Villarreal before departing for Villa – nine months prior to Chelsea's successful £32million swoop.
The Spanish boss is now ready to test the Blues' determination over the Senegal international, who also features on the wish lists of Manchester United and Newcastle. Chelsea have been holding firm on an £80m valuation for the 24-year-old, who penned an eight-year deal.
This would require Villa to cash in on England frontman Watkins, who has already caught the attention of Manchester United and Newcastle.
Watkins, 29, is understood to be seeking a new challenge and has grown restless amid persistent transfer speculation throughout the summer.
Alongside Jackson, Emery has been examining alternative options including RB Leipzig's Belgian striker Lois Openda, who would arrive at a lower cost than the Chelsea ace, with the German outfit seeking approximately £40 million.
However, Jackson remains Emery's preferred target, with hopes they will lower their demands given Chelsea's acquisitions of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, plus their imminent capture of RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons.
Jackson has faced scrutiny regarding his goalscoring record since arriving at Chelsea in 2023, despite netting 17 times in his debut season and 13 in the previous campaign.
He recently addressed his future after a journalist implied he faces "competition" from Delap and Pedro. "Competition? I have no competition," he told DSports TV. "We're all here to help the club. Everyone has their role to play.
"I'm on a mission. It's up to the coach to make his choices. I focus solely on my work.' I'm a Chelsea player. The future belongs to God. If there are any changes, you'll know. For now, I'm focused on my preparation.'
"It's football, there are ups and downs. Last season we won two trophies. There were difficult moments, moments of glory. Every season is like that. But the most important thing is to stay focused, to learn, and to grow in the face of adversity."