Chelsea talks with Aston Villa over Nicolas Jackson as clubs pursue third major deal

Aston Villa have opened discussions with Chelsea over a move for striker Nicolas Jackson, with the Premier League clubs exploring a third significant transfer between them in the current window as they navigate tight financial regulations.

Villa and Chelsea have already agreed a deal for Alejandro Garnacho to join Unai Emery’s side on loan with an obligation to buy, in the wake of Morgan Rogers’ record-breaking £117m switch from Villa Park to Stamford Bridge.

According to the Daily Mail, Villa are now examining the possibility of signing Senegal forward Jackson, who joined Chelsea in 2023 but struggled to secure a regular starting role before being loaned to Bayern Munich last season. Bayern opted against triggering a permanent move for the 23-year-old.

Financial rules shape transfer structure

The way these deals are constructed is viewed as crucial by both clubs, who must comply with UEFA’s squad cost regulations and financial settlement agreements running into 2025.

Rogers’ £117m transfer is expected to generate more than £80m in pure accounting profit for Aston Villa. That figure factors in the sell-on clause owed to former club Middlesbrough and the remaining book value of the forward’s original move to Villa in 2024.

Chelsea’s agreement to send Garnacho to Villa on an initial loan with an obligation to buy is understood to be heavily influenced by how UEFA would treat any direct, simultaneous sale between the two clubs.

Had Garnacho moved immediately on a permanent basis as part of the same financial package that took Rogers to Chelsea, UEFA would have been likely to classify the business as a “swap deal”. Such a designation would reduce the level of profit both clubs could book in their accounts from the respective transfers.

Timing under scrutiny

Even if the Garnacho transfer is finalised on the 1 September deadline day, the time gap between that move and Rogers’ sale would still fall short of the 45-day window UEFA uses when assessing whether transactions are connected.

That shorter interval would make it harder for either club to argue convincingly that the deals were entirely independent of each other in front of UEFA’s financial panels.

Using a loan with an obligation to buy for Garnacho could itself still be treated as part of a broader exchange, given that the purchase commitment is being agreed within 45 days of the Rogers transfer.

However, the specific conditions attached to the Garnacho agreement are seen as giving Aston Villa greater control over the precise timing of when the permanent transfer is completed. That, in turn, provides more room for manoeuvre when the club’s figures are reviewed by UEFA’s financial auditors.

Jackson’s future up in the air

Jackson has not travelled with Chelsea’s squad to Australia for their pre-season tour, having been granted time off following his involvement at the recent World Cup.

The forward has previously worked with Emery at Villarreal, where the Aston Villa head coach was in charge before moving to the Premier League.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are looking to reshape their attacking options while remaining within UEFA’s cost limits, with outgoings such as Rogers and potential further exits – including any move involving Jackson – feeding directly into their calculations.

No agreement has yet been reached over Jackson’s proposed switch, but any deal would deepen the growing transfer links between Chelsea and Aston Villa at a time when both clubs are under close scrutiny over how they balance on-pitch ambitions with off-pitch financial compliance.