Aston Villa submit £60m bid for “phenomenal” star who’s held direct talks with Emery
Aston Villa have submitted an offer for Nicolas Jackson, which Chelsea are now on the verge of accepting.
The Blues are looking to cash-in on Jackson, after sending him out on loan to Bayern Munich last season, and they have already brought in Danny Welbeck as a back-up option for Joao Pedro.
Villa, on the other hand, need to sign a new centre-forward, as Ollie Watkins is heading for the exit door, with Fabrizio Romano revealing Al-Hilal are confident about wrapping up a deal for the England international.
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In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Romano stated there is a “very good chance” Watkins will move to the Saudi Pro League, and he will be a big loss for Unai Emery, having scored 91 Premier League goals for the Villans.
Jackson’s big move to Chelsea didn’t go exactly to plan, but there were some encouraging signs early on, with the Senegalese striker chipping in with 14 goals and five assists in 35 matches during his debut Premier League campaign.
The 25-year-old was a constant threat on loan at Bayern Munich last season too, averaging 1.9 shots on target per 90 and 0.72 goals per 90, which placed him second in Vincent Kompany’s squad on both metrics.
Another encouraging sign is the fact the striker has proven himself in three major leagues at a relatively young age, with journalist Kamogelo Motecwane lauding him as “phenomenal” during his time with Villarreal in La Liga.
Aston Villa submit bid for Nicolas Jackson
Aston Villa have now taken a big step towards signing Jackson, with Foot Mercato revealing they have submitted a bid worth €70m (£60m) including bonuses, which Chelsea are on the verge of accepting.
The offer is just shy of the Blues’ original asking price of £65m, but they are still in line to make a healthy profit, after signing the former Villarreal man for £32m three years ago.
Villa will now need to agree personal terms with the Chelsea forward, which may not be too much of an issue, considering he is keen to reunite with Emery, who has been in direct talks with his former player.
Emery is the man who gave the Senegal international his debut at Villarreal, and he has previously lauded him for his ability to create opportunities out of nothing, saying: “When he starts scoring more often, he’ll be a very important player because he creates chances himself. It’s a joy that he scored. With him, I’m calm because he creates scoring opportunities where there are practically none.”
