Aston Villa Targets Nicolas Jackson for €70m Transfer

Chelsea are braced to lose Nicolas Jackson before the transfer window slams shut – and his next destination could hand a major lift to a team they expect to be jostling with in the Premier League table.

Aston Villa, stung by a brutal start to the season and stripped of depth in key areas, have put the Chelsea striker at the very top of their late-window wishlist as they scramble for attacking firepower.

Villa in a race against time

Villa’s summer has turned messy. Players have streamed out of the club, many of them in the last few weeks, and the replacements simply haven’t arrived quickly enough. The result is a thin squad, a restless fanbase and a manager who knows exactly what he wants.

The 4-0 thrashing by Brighton on the opening weekend did more than dent morale. It sharpened the mood in the boardroom and underlined, in the most public way possible, that Villa need reinforcements now, not in January.

At the heart of the problem sits the centre-forward position. According to CaughtOffside, Villa’s priority is clear: find a striker to step in for Ollie Watkins, who is pushing for a lucrative move to the Saudi league.

They tested the waters with Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, only to see their bid rejected. The Frenchman remains an option, but more as a safety net than the headline act.

Jackson is the one they really want.

€70m on the table for Jackson

Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna reported on Tuesday that Villa have submitted a €70 million offer for Nicolas Jackson, with the forward now “on the verge” of accepting the move.

The pressure finally told. After weeks of churn and a brutal opening-day defeat, Villa have gone big.

There is still work to do. Aouna notes that the clubs and player must agree the finer points of Jackson’s contract and personal terms, but Villa are believed to have enough flexibility in their wage structure to make the deal happen.

From Jackson’s side, the attraction is obvious. He would be reunited with Unai Emery, the coach who gave him his first-team debut at Villarreal and helped shape his early career. A manager who already trusts him, a club desperate for a focal point, and the promise of regular Premier League minutes – it ticks a lot of boxes.

For Chelsea, a sizeable fee and clarity in attack as they reshape their squad. For Villa, a statement signing in a position of urgent need. For Jackson, a familiar face on the touchline and a central role.

All parties know the clock is ticking. If this goes through, Chelsea may have just strengthened a direct rival in the race for European places – and handed Emery the striker around whom he can build his next push.