Aston Villa Lead Race For €80m Chelsea Forward: His Role Under Unai Emery? | OneFootball

Aston Villa are emerging as the frontrunners to sign Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson this summer, with a transfer fee in the region of €80m now on the table. The report, relayed by Sport Witness writer Sean Lunt and sourced originally from Spanish newspaper AS, reveals that Atlético Madrid had also been chasing the 25-year-old Senegal international.

Aston Villa close in on €80m Chelsea striker as Atlético Madrid drop out

Atlético’s sporting director Mateu Alemany even flew to London personally to table a loan arrangement, but Chelsea knocked it back flat. The Stamford Bridge club are protecting their international loan slots and want a permanent deal, full stop.

That stance effectively shuts Atlético out. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are planning to finance the move through the sale of Ollie Watkins, who has already agreed personal terms on a permanent switch to Saudi Arabia for a fee expected to top €50m. The existing working relationship between Chelsea and Villa, cemented earlier this summer through deals for Morgan Rogers and Alejandro Garnacho, gives this negotiation a head start most transfers never get.

Jackson has been flagged as Unai Emery’s long-term priority signing.

T4O take: Why this move actually makes sense for Jackson?

MUNICH, GERMANY – MAY 16: Nicolas Jackson of FC Bayern Munich looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and 1. FC Köln at Allianz Arena on May 16, 2026 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

At Chelsea, Jackson is out of favour. His loan stint at Bayern Munich in 2025-26 produced 11 goals and two assists across 34 appearances, eight in 23 Bundesliga games, three with two assists in 10 Champions League matches. Solid enough. Not spectacular. But the context matters.

Emery gave Jackson his professional breakthrough at Villarreal. He knows precisely what Jackson offers and, crucially, what he doesn’t. Jackson isn’t a cold-blooded poacher who lives off scraps inside the box. He’s a forward who stretches defensive lines horizontally, carries at pace under pressure, and links with inverted wingers. Emery‘s system is practically built for that profile.

With Watkins leaving, Aston Villa won’t ask Jackson to be a direct replacement. Emery will likely deploy him alongside Garnacho in a fluid front line where Jackson can drift rather than hold a fixed position against physical centre-backs. That freedom is exactly what he’s been denied elsewhere.

Chelsea’s £65m valuation has stalled talks slightly, but all parties want this concluded.