Aston Villa step up talks to sign Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson | OneFootball

Aston Villa have stepped up their pursuit of Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, according to the Daily Mail.

Villa want to strengthen their attack this summer, a need heightened by Morgan Rogers’ imminent departure to Chelsea.

Rogers was the Villans’ second top scorer across all competitions last season, and replacing his goalscoring output has become a priority. Villa have now identified Jackson as a leading target.

Naturally a striker, the Senegal international can also operate on either flank. He is likely to operate mainly in wide areas if he joins Villa.

Jackson struggled for regular game time on loan at Bayern Munich last season, serving as Harry Kane’s understudy. He started just 15 games across all competitions.

He is likely to seek assurances over game time before considering a move to Villa.

Emery knows Jackson well, having handed him his La Liga debut at Villarreal. That relationship could prove decisive in convincing him to move to the Midlands.

Jackson featured in 27 games across all competitions, registering three goals and three assists before Emery left Villarreal to join Villa.

Chelsea are likely to demand more than the £32 million they paid Villarreal to sign Jackson, given that he still has seven years remaining on his contract.

The Blues are aiming to generate funds from player sales to balance their books after committing £117m to secure a deal for Rogers.

They have already raised more than £120m from the sales of Marc Cucurella, Tyrique George, Jimmy-Jay Morgan and Andrey Santos.