Chelsea could accept £50m Aston Villa offer for Nicolas Jackson as clause latest emerges
Aston Villa could now edge closer to the signing of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.
Jackson looks set to leave Chelsea this summer as Enzo Maresca aims to trim his Club World Cup-winning squad down before the 1 September deadline.
This could see the Villans step up their interest in the Senegal international, with Unai Emery previously piling praise on Jackson after the pair worked together at Villarreal.
Now, a link-up for the forward and Emery could be on the cards at Villa Park with just weeks remaining until the window slams shut.
With the financial hardships that Villa are facing right now, a deal could prove to be difficult, but Chelsea may still be set to green-light a move for Jackson.
Nicolas Jackson could now sign for Aston Villa
As it stands, it does feel as if attacking options are still necessary for Villa, especially after losing Leon Bailey in a transfer to Roma.
This could see a move for the Chelsea man make sense, with a Villa loan with an obligation to buy potentially possible for Jackson.
With that being said, it is unlikely that a deal will be easy to agree given the problems that the Villans have faced with both PSR and SCR throughout the summer.
- Aston Villa have completed just two signings this summer
- 21 players have departed Villa Park so far in the window
- Seven of those have left on permanent deals
- These exits could open the door for Villa to sign Jackson
This may require Villa to haggle with the Blues in order to find a solution that benefits all parties in the coming weeks.
Now, John Townley has reported via The Claret and Blue Podcast (20 August) that an £8million loan fee could be combined with a £40m obligation to form a larger package.
He said: “If Villa could do something where it’s a loan with an obligation to buy, they could use the loan fee as part of the overall amount. That would make more sense.
“If you were to sign Jackson for an £8m loan fee, which sounds steep for a loan, but there’s an obligation to buy him next summer for £40m, you’re paying nearly £50m for Jackson, and I think Chelsea would accept that.
“It would have to be an obligation surely, because if you pay that loan fee and it’s an option, if he doesn’t play well, then you’ve just wasted £8m.”
Nicolas Jackson could battle with Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa
Last time Villa had an unpredictable striker in their ranks, Jhon Duran was a star and caused huge problems for Ollie Watkins.
After the Colombia international departed, the Englishman’s form certainly picked up, so bringing in Jackson may prove to be an early blow this campaign.
It is fair to say that both Watkins and Jackson profile similarly, although the Villa man did clock up 400 more Premier League minutes by comparison last season.
| Stat per 90 | Ollie Watkins | Nicolas Jackson |
| Expected goals | 0.53 | 0.50 |
| Shots on target | 1.38 | 1.41 |
| Chances created | 0.86 | 1.13 |
| Successful dribbles | 0.34 | 0.72 |
| Duels won | 3.62 | 3.62 |
As a result, the signing does make sense, and the prior relationship with Emery could prove to be exactly what all parties need moving forward.
It will certainly be interesting to see if Villa can get a deal done and, more importantly, where the Senegalese ace fits in alongside the current options in B6.
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