Where Nicolas Jackson would rank among Aston Villa’s most expensive signings as Chelsea price set
Aston Villa have learned how much it will cost to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.
Unai Emery is keen to sign the Senegal international, but Chelsea say it will cost at least £60million.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has made some disparaging comments about Jackson recently, so there may be some room for bargaining.
At the same time, it’s believed that Emery is desperate to add an extra striker to his ranks before the transfer window closes. Villa may be willing to sell one of their top stars to fund the deal.
Below, Villa News assesses where Jackson would rank among Villa’s most expensive signings if he joins for the fee Chelsea want.
Nicolas Jackson would be Aston Villa’s record signing
Aston Villa are a long way behind some of their Premier League rivals when it comes to transfer fees spent on individual players.
Their record signing is currently Moussa Diaby. The official transfer fee was undisclosed when he signed from Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, but it was reported to be around £51.9million.
Based on this estimation, Aston Villa’s top five record signings based on initial fees are:
- Moussa Diaby – £51.9m from Bayer Leverkusen (2023)
- Amadou Onana – £50m from Everton (2024)
- Ian Maatsen – £35m from Chelsea (2024)
- Emiliano Buendia – £33m from Norwich (2021)
- Pau Torres – £31.5m from Villarreal (2023)
As per the Daily Mail (21 August), Chelsea are after £60m for Jackson.
That means that Jackson is likely to become Villa’s most expensive signing if he is bought from Chelsea.
Is Nicolas Jackson worth the money for Aston Villa?
If Aston Villa fork out £60m or more for Jackson, the immediate question will be: is he worth the money?
He certainly has the potential to achieve more than the other players listed above.
If he fires enough goals to rocket Villa to Champions League qualification, he will arguably have paid off his transfer fee in one season.
Jackson missed a lot of easy chances for Chelsea last season and has become a target of cheap jokes among opposition fans.
However, he’s only 24 years old and is capable of improving.
At his best, he shows:
- Impressive strength and pace
- Great hold-up play
- A keen eye for goal
Emery has worked with him before at Villarreal and remains confident that he can help the striker retain his best form.
If the Villa boss can pull that off, it could prove to be money well spent.
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