Darren Bent questions Chelsea’s decision to sell Nicolas Jackson after striker’s Aston Villa resurgence

Former England international Darren Bent believes Nicolas Jackson has been one of the bargains of the Premier League season, praising the striker’s impressive resurgence at Aston Villa under Unai Emery.

Jackson has rediscovered his scoring touch since joining Villa, with Bent crediting Emery’s influence and familiarity with the Senegal international for his improved performances.

The 25-year-old has started all nine of his Premier League appearances this season, scoring six goals and providing one assist. He has also registered three goals in four Champions League outings, establishing himself as an important figure in Emery’s attacking plans.

His impressive form represents a significant turnaround after difficult spells at Chelsea and Bayern Munich, where he struggled to establish himself as a consistent first-choice striker.

Bent believes Jackson’s qualities were never in doubt and questioned Chelsea’s decision to allow him to leave, insisting the forward always possessed the attributes to succeed at the highest level.

Speaking on behalf of MrQ, the former Tottenham and Aston Villa striker explained that Emery’s previous relationship with Jackson at Villarreal has been instrumental in helping him rediscover his confidence.

“Well, I think the manager, Unai Emery’s got a big part to play in that. He knows Jackson really well from Villarreal, really likes him. And I always found it really bizarre that Chelsea let him go, if I’m honest. I always thought to myself, Chelsea need to keep hold of him because, yeah, he might miss a lot of chances and he’s not the most prolific, but he always gets in the right positions. He always works hard and that pace that he’s got is always going to be a threat,” Bent said.

The former striker also argued that Jackson’s departure was particularly questionable given his previous understanding with Chelsea’s attacking players, especially Cole Palmer.

He believes the Senegalese forward could have remained a valuable option at Stamford Bridge, particularly when the club needed depth in attack.

Bent questions whether Jackson is an upgrade on Watkins

Jackson’s arrival at Villa has also sparked comparisons with Ollie Watkins, who departed after establishing himself as one of the club’s most important players.

Although Bent considers Watkins the better centre-forward overall, he believes Jackson has ensured there has been little decline in Villa’s attacking threat following the change.

The former England international highlighted Jackson’s improved finishing, movement and ability to create opportunities for teammates as evidence of his growing influence.

He also pointed to the forward’s developing partnership with Manzambi, which has strengthened Villa’s attacking options.

“I guess in the long term, yes, Watkins I think is a better option, a better centre-forward. But in this short-term option now and what Jackson’s doing, I don’t think there’s been any kind of drop-off since Jackson came in and Watkins left.”

Bent added: “So now you start to think, well, is it a downgrade or is it an upgrade having Jackson in the team? Because him and Manzambi at the minute are linking so well. He seems to have sorted out his finishing too, where he is more composed.”

He believes Jackson’s ability to exploit spaces, make intelligent runs and contribute to Villa’s attacking build-up has made him an excellent acquisition.

“I think he’s been brilliant. I think, so far this season, you have to say Jackson’s been one of the bargains of the season, even though he’s on loan.”

Bent labels Emery a genius after Villa’s remarkable transformation

Bent’s admiration for Jackson’s resurgence extends to Emery, whom he considers the driving force behind Aston Villa’s continued success despite significant changes to the squad.

The Spaniard inherited Villa in October 2022 when they were 17th in the Premier League, just one point above the relegation zone, following Steven Gerrard’s dismissal.

He guided them to seventh place that season before securing Champions League qualification and subsequently delivering European silverware.

Bent believes Emery deserves enormous credit for maintaining Villa’s competitiveness despite losing several influential players, including Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Watkins.

He described the manager as an exceptional tactician capable of rebuilding his squad without compromising the team’s performance levels.

“I think all of it is down to Unai Emery. I think he’s an absolute genius and he’s a master, because he’s lost players before, and he’s still managed to rebuild the team now.”

Bent also questioned why Manchester United had not made a stronger attempt to appoint Emery during their recent managerial difficulties.

However, he believes the Villa manager would now be more selective about his next career move, having learned from his previous experiences at Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

He insisted Emery would demand the necessary control and resources before considering another major managerial challenge.

Villa next face Sunderland, with three points potentially moving Emery’s side into the Premier League’s top six as they continue their pursuit of European football.