Reuniting with Emery: Jackson Edging Closer to Aston Villa Move

Aston Villa are now pushing to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, as manager Unai Emery targets a reunion with the forward he first brought to prominence at Villarreal.

Last night, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Villa view Jackson as their top priority and are leading the chase, but Bayern Munich and Newcastle United are also among the clubs making concrete enquiries to Chelsea.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has publicly stated that Jackson is free to leave and he has been left out of the squad ahead of the West Ham match amid ongoing talks.

Fabrizio Romano's comments:

Last night, speaking on his Youtube channel, Fabrizio Romano quoted the following regarding Nicolas Jackson:

“Aston Villa are pushing – Unai Emery was the coach of Nicolas Jackson at Villarreal – but there are more clubs interested. 

Newcastle are still there. Newcastle are still interested in Nicolas Jackson. That is going to be an important story to follow over the final days of the window.

Aston Villa, Newcastle…but we have to also had the strong interest coming from Bayern. They (Bayern) are closely monitoring the situation.”

A Familiar Face: Emery and Jackson’s Shared Past

Emery’s interest in Jackson runs deeper than most transfer pursuits—they worked together at Villarreal, where Jackson broke through into La Liga under Emery’s oversight.

The Senegalese striker scored 13 goals in 38 games in his breakthrough La Liga season under Emery at the age of 21, but the familiarities of working under Emery previously could help Jackson mould into his system swiftly, a factor likely weighing heavily in their pursuit.

What’s at Stake: Villa’s Strategy and AFCON risks

For Villa, acquiring Jackson represents a bold statement of ambition and added fire power in the forward positions to compete on all fronts this season, a reunion with Emery’s proven project, and a Premier League–ready striker capable of stepping into a high‑pressure, Champions League‑level challenge.

Unai Emery has a track record of improving players, and he played a crucial role in Nicolas Jackson’s development during his time at Villarreal, therefore he will hope that he can improve his game even further in a second stint together. Nicolas Jackson, who is still only 24 years of age, will require no time to adapt to the Premier League and integrate into his former coaches methods.

One risk of signing Nicolas Jackson is his absence during the AFCON tournament from December to January. If signed, him and Evan Guessand (Ivory Coast) will be representing their nations at the tournament in Morocco, set to be played from December 21st 2025 - 18th January 2025. This will place a reliance on Ollie Watkins to remain fit and play all fixtures in an already congested festive fixture period.

There's still work to be done on the terms of deal, with Chelsea valuing the 24‑year‑old around £60-80 million, though interested parties, Villa included, are hoping to negotiate down toward £60 million.

Financial constraints are pushing Villa to consider a loan deal with an obligation to buy, which Chelsea are reportedly reluctant to accept given Villa's status as both Premier League and Champions League. A concern is if Newcastle United, who could see a large cash injection in to their transfer kitty soon if Alexander Isak moves on, may be able to offer better payment structure terms to Chelsea which could prove vital in the deal.