Aston Villa make Nicolas Jackson their priority as Chelsea weigh €70m proposal

Aston Villa have made a €70m offer, including bonuses, for Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, with the Blues reportedly close to accepting the proposal before the summer transfer window closes.

The deal is not yet complete, however, as Villa must still reach an agreement with Jackson over his contract and personal terms. According to journalist Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato, the Premier League club currently has sufficient room within its wage structure to conclude the transfer.

Villa are racing against time to strengthen their squad after a difficult start to the new Premier League campaign. Their need for attacking reinforcements became even more pressing after they were beaten 4-0 by Brighton in the opening round of the season.

The club have also seen a significant number of players leave, with many of those departures taking place in recent weeks. That has left manager Unai Emery with limited time to replace the players who have moved on before the transfer deadline.

A new striker is understood to be Villa’s immediate priority, with Ollie Watkins pushing for a move to the Saudi Arabian league. Jackson has emerged as the leading target as Villa seek to address the situation in attack.

Villa had previously made an approach for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, but that offer was rejected. The France international is understood to be viewed as an alternative rather than the club’s principal target.

Aouna reported on Tuesday afternoon that Aston Villa had submitted an offer of about €70m, including add-ons, for Jackson. Chelsea are “on the verge” of accepting the proposal, although negotiations over the player’s contract remain outstanding.

🚨EXCL: 🟣🇸🇳🇫🇷 #PL | 💰 Aston Villa a propose une offre d’environ 70M€ bonus compris a Chelsea pour Nicolas Jackson. Les Blues sont sur le point d’accepter la proposition. 🇸🇳 Aston Villa doit desormais trouver un accord contractuel avec l’attaquant senegalais. ❌️ En…

Jackson could be encouraged by the prospect of working with Emery again. The manager gave him his first opportunity in senior football during their time together at Villarreal.

The Senegal international joined Villarreal’s senior set-up during Emery’s spell at the Spanish club before moving on to Chelsea. A reunion at Villa Park would therefore bring the forward back together with the manager who first trusted him at first-team level.

The proposed transfer appears to offer a solution for all three parties. Chelsea would be able to secure a potentially substantial fee for the forward, Villa would add a striker as they attempt to rebuild their squad, and Jackson would have the chance to work again under Emery.

With the summer window nearing its conclusion, negotiations are expected to move quickly. Villa’s need for reinforcements, Chelsea’s apparent willingness to accept the €70m offer and Jackson’s previous relationship with Emery could all help accelerate the discussions in the days ahead.