via Reuters
Aston Villa are closing in on an agreement on personal terms with Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Midlands side have seen their first-team squad obliterated by transfers this summer after losing Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans to Man Utd, Lucas Digne to Paris Saint-Germain, and Ezri Konsa to Arsenal, while both Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins are also expected to leave, with the forward pushing for a move to Al Hilal.
That has seen Villa begin to start scouring the market for a new striker ahead of the transfer window closing on September 1st, and the Senegal international has emerged as a top target.
According to Romano, writing on his X account, Villa have almost closed an agreement with Jackson and the player's representatives on personal terms ahead of a move to Villa Park.
Manager Unai Emery is understood to be personally pushing the move, having worked with Jackson at Villarreal previously, and the two clubs are now understood to be in club-to-club talks to try and get a deal done.
Aston Villa are believed to be willing to spend more than £60m to sign the 25-year-old, who signed for Chelsea in a deal worth around £32m in 2023. He signed an eight-year contract at the time of his arrival, but spent last season at Bayern Munich on loan, having falled down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
Villa currently have Watkins, Tammy Abraham, and youngster Brian Madjo as their striker options, but none were available for the opening game of the Premier League season, which saw Emi Buendia start in attack as they were thrashed 4-0 by Brighton.
The team are now pushing hard to get someone in, with less than a week remaining of the window, and a deal to bring in Jackson is edging closer, despite rival interest from the likes of Atletico Madrid.
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Nicolas Jackson Premier League Stats
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Emery Loves Jackson
Nicolas Jackson in action for Senegal
Emery is known for getting the best out of his players, and Jackson is someone who he has done that with already.
During their time together at Villarreal, the Senegal international made his first-team debut for the club and improved hugely, before having a breakout season as Emery departed for Villa Park in October 2023, going on to score 12 goals in 26 La Liga games.
Speaking following Jackson's move to Chelsea, Emery praised his attitude and admitted that he was a big fan of the player.
"We worked during the one year on his skill, he improved his understanding better, how he could exploit his potential. And playing minutes and getting experiences was the next step," he said.
"But his attitude as well was fantastic. He was always learning. He was always demanding to train more, to be focused. He was also being a professional every day out of training sessions at home because he was focused on football like the first priority in his life.
"And the consequences is coming. It's coming because he signed for Chelsea. Last year he was adapting so quick, but he was progressively getting better - sometimes without the performance - and now he is showing."
Pierre Sage
Pierre Sage