Aston Villa’s interest in Nicolas Jackson has suffered a setback after the striker decided he wants to stay at Chelsea and impress Xabi Alonso.
SunSport reports that Villa are among several Premier League clubs interested in the Senegal international. Unai Emery is said to be particularly keen on a reunion after working with Jackson at Villarreal.
The pair have remained in contact, while Emery also attempted to sign the forward before his loan move to Bayern Munich last summer.
Jackson scored 11 goals across 34 appearances in Germany. He is now expected to return to Chelsea and join their pre-season tour of Australia and Malaysia.
The striker’s representatives have reportedly been informed that Chelsea are willing to reintegrate him into Alonso’s squad. Jackson intends to take that opportunity rather than pursue an immediate move elsewhere.
Villa may need to consider other attacking options
ReadAstonVilla previously covered Villa’s interest in a late move for Jackson, although no offer or advanced negotiations had taken place.
Jackson remained an attractive option because of his relationship with Emery and ability to operate centrally or from wider positions. His pace and movement could have helped Villa replace some of the attacking threat lost through Morgan Rogers’ proposed move to Chelsea.
However, Jackson’s decision and Chelsea’s willingness to give him another opportunity have reduced the chances of a deal progressing soon.
Villa could retain an interest in case Jackson struggles for minutes during pre-season. Alonso already has Liam Delap and João Pedro among his central options, while Chelsea’s large squad could still lead to departures later in the window.
For now, Villa will need to assess alternative targets as Emery reshapes his attack. Jackson appears focused on earning another opportunity at Stamford Bridge rather than returning to work with his former manager.
