The manager at one club could help his employers land Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson this summer.
Following the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap at Chelsea, Jackson‘s future has been thrown into doubt.
Chelsea could now loan Jackson, with the 24-year-old being linked with several different clubs.
One side are likely to be of particular interest to Jackson because of the man currently in their dugout.
Unai Emery the manager of Aston Villa looks on
Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images
Nicolas Jackson would ‘love’ to play under Unai Emery again
Aston Villa are one club who are said to be considering Jackson, and their manager Unai Emery has already worked with the Chelsea star at Villarreal.
It is a move that should appeal to Jackson, with journalist Simon Phillips claiming on Si Phillips Talks Chelsea that he would “love” to play under his former boss again.
Any potential switch to Villa Park, though, could hinge on what happens with Ollie Watkins.
It is thought that Villa’s interest in Jackson is connected to Watkins and that the Premier League club will only make a move for him if the Englishman departs during this transfer window.
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If a transfer to Villa is not possible, Jackson should still have other options. Manchester United and Newcastle United have been linked with the Senegal international, though RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko remains their priority.
Nicolas Jackson celebrates after scoring for Chelsea
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Nicolas Jackson’s record under Unai Emery at Villarreal
Jackson was a very young forward still developing under Emery during their time together at Villarreal, and his stats show that.
In 27 games, Jackson was only able to score three goals. However, a lot of his appearances did come from off the bench.
Nicolas Jackson’s record under Unai Emery Appearances Goals Assists
La Liga 20 2 2
Conference League 4 1 0
Conference League qualifiers 2 0 0
Copa del Rey 1 0 0
Total 27 3 2
Via Transfermarkt
Since then, he has obviously developed into a much better player. Chelsea even value Jackson at £80m now, showing how far he has come along.
Whether other clubs think Jackson is worth anything close to that is another matter, but if Emery does get his hands on him, the Spaniard will be welcoming a more seasoned forward compared to the one he worked with at Villarreal.