Aston Villa given extra Nicolas Jackson bargaining power after silly Enzo Maresca comment
Nicolas Jackson continues to be linked with a move to Aston Villa this summer.
Despite Villa recently signing Evann Guessand, rumours continue to surround Jackson and a potential move to Villa Park.
Jackson has previously worked with Unai Emery at Villarreal, and if any manager could be the one to get the best out of the 24-year-old, there wouldn’t be many you’d put your money on ahead of Emery.
With Chelsea signing Liam Delap and Joao Pedro this summer, Jackson does not appear to have a future at Chelsea, but Enzo Maresca’s latest comments may have weakened their bargaining power even further.
Villa could take advantage of Enzo Maresca’s Nicolas Jackson update
Ollie Watkins was linked with moves away earlier in the summer, with the likes of Newcastle and Manchester United reportedly interested, but after the Englishman featured against Newcastle on the opening day, ironically enough, it would appear that he is sticking around.
Whether Jackson would be able to displace Watkins from the starting XI remains to be seen, but Villa could bring the Senegalese forward to B6 for cheaper than anticipated.
In his pre-game press conference on Thursday before Chelsea’s game against West Ham, Maresca had this to say about the striker as well as Christian Nkunku: “If they are going to be here, they will be with us.
“If not, it means they found a solution. I think it’s better if they find a solution because they are going to be more happy.”
Asked specifically for more on Jackson, Maresca said: “He is available but he is not going to be part of the squad.
“We have two strikers, two in that position and also something can happen before the transfer window closes.”
These comments from Maresca will surely slash the £80million price tag that was reportedly placed on Jackson’s head earlier in the summer.
More recent reports have suggested that Jackson could move to Villa on loan, with the deal costing around £8million before an obligation to purchase the former Villarreal man next summer for £40million.
With Villa knowing Chelsea are pretty desperate to offload, they now have added bargaining power.
Data suggests Nicolas Jackson could be ideal for Aston Villa
With Watkins turning 30 in December, it would be wise to prepare for a future where his output begins to slow down.
- Watkins has scored 75 Premier League goals across five full seasons at Villa
- Jackson has scored 24 in 65 for Chelsea
The data suggests that Guessand is a different profile of striker to Watkins and Jackson, being better in the air and thriving more in offensive duels.
Jackson, however, is of an extremely similar profile to Watkins, and this is something that Monchi may be considering when weighing up a move for the Chelsea man.
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