How Man United’s Ollie Watkins interest could impact Nicolas Jackson’s Chelsea future | OneFootball

Plenty of Premier League clubs have strengthened their attacks this summer, including Chelsea who have brought in two new centre-forwards.

Enzo Maresca's side have brought in Liam Delap from Ipswich Town and Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion to compete with Nicolas Jackson as Chelsea look to add depth across every position.

Elsewhere, Liverpool have completed the signing of Huge Ekitike, while Manchester United signed both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Arsenal are in advanced talks to land Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP.

Several other futures are yet to be confirmed, with Alexander Isak exploring a potential departure from Newcastle, while Ollie Watkins and Chelsea's Jackson attracting interest, including from Man United.

Jackson is not for sale this summer, with Chelsea insisting they are happy with their forward options of Delap, Pedro and the Senegal international. They are also looking to add another attacker in RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons.

Moises Caicedo (left) and Jackson (right) posing with the Club World Cup trophy. | IMAGO / Gribaudi/ImagePhoto

Chelsea value Jackson between £80m and £100m after benchmarking Ekitike's move to Liverpool, which could be worth as much as £79m if all add-ons are met, from Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, Chelsea could soon be braced with a decision to make over Jackson's future at Stamford Bridge.

Aston Villa are receiving interest from Man United for Watkins, who they insist is not for sale for any price this summer, as reported by John Percy. Ruben Amorim's side made an inquiry over his availability, but were met by the message of 'not for sale'.

It's been suggested by Ben Jacobs that Villa value Watkins at £60m, which is deemed as 'too high' for the Red Devils, who are prepared to advance their interest should Villa's asking price drop.

Despite Villa's stance of wanting to keep the 29-year-old, if they were to let Watkins depart, they would need to sign a replacement - this is where Jackson could come in.

Aston Villa are insisting Watkins is not for sale this summer. | IMAGO / Sportimage

Jackson, who is a player Villa 'appreciate', has worked under boss Unai Emery previously, with the Spaniard handing the striker his first-team debut at Villarreal back in 2021.

"His attitude was fantastic," Emery told Sky Sports in December 2024. "He was always learning. He was always demanding to train more, to be focused. He was also being a professional every day out of training sessions at home because he was focused on football like the first priority in his life.

"And the consequences is coming. It's coming because he signed for Chelsea. Last year he was adapting so quick, but he was progressively getting better - sometimes without the performance - and now he is showing."

A few intriguing weeks lie ahead for all Premier League clubs as they prepare for the new season - moves to strengthen squads could trigger a chain reaction across the league.