I was angry when an injury thwarted my transfer to Aston Villa – Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson

Chelsea striker, Nicolas Jackson, has revealed that he was on the verge of joining Aston Villa while at Villarreal.

The Senegalese forward was keen to reunite with former manager Unai Emery, who had just taken over at Villa Park. However, a hamstring injury thwarted his transfer plans.

Jackson explained that when Emery departed Villarreal, he expressed interest in bringing him to Villa. Unfortunately, Jackson was sidelined due to injury, which led to complications during the medical evaluation.

“When Unai (Emery) left Villarreal, he wanted me to go to Aston Villa, but I was injured. I had to go, but I had a hamstring injury.

“We went there, they checked and said I needed one more month and they wanted me now. If they wanted me in a week, two weeks, I wasn’t ready, so they had to cancel the transfer, and I came back.

Upon returning to Villarreal, Jackson felt frustrated but used that anger as motivation. “When I went back, I was very angry,” he admitted.

He quickly turned his situation around, scoring 12 goals in just two months. This resurgence caught the attention of Chelsea, who signed him for £32 million in the summer of 2023.

Now a key player under manager Enzo Maresca, Jackson has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top forwards, demonstrating resilience and determination throughout his journey.