Aston Villa add Chelsea ace Nicolas Jackson to striker shortlist | OneFootball

Aston Villa are the latest club to register an interest in wantaway Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson.

According to Florian Plettenberg, Villa are closely monitoring the Senegalese striker, who is expected to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

Plettenberg reports that talks have already taken place between both clubs over a potential deal.

The 24-year-old striker is in high demand this summer and has been linked to half the clubs in Europe as he looks to secure a move away from West London.

Bayern Munich are one of several clubs to have gathered information about a potential deal for Jackson, but the Bundesliga giants have ruled out a move.

That leaves the door open for Villa to swoop in, with manager Unai Emery demanding further reinforcements.

Villa have endured a frustrating transfer window so far, severely limited by the Premier League’s strict Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Their business has been modest. Evann Guessand has been their only notable addition this summer, forking out €30 million (£26m) to bring him in from OGC Nice.

However, after cashing in on Jacob Ramsey, who secured a €45m (£35m) move to Newcastle United, Villa now have some breathing room to operate on the transfer market.

Jackson has now emerged as one of Emery’s top priorities. The Spanish manager knows Jackson well, having worked with him during his time at Villarreal, and will relish a reunion at Villa Park.

The Senegalese striker has endured a mixed spell at Chelsea since joining from Villarreal for £32m.

He impressed during his debut campaign with 17 goals and six assists in 44 games across all competitions.

However, his numbers dipped last season, scoring 10 times in 30 Premier League games while missing a staggering 19 big chances.

Despite his dip in form, Chelsea are not desperate to offload Jackson, but they’ll welcome offers.

The club sees potential sales as a way to boost their pursuit of high-profile targets such as Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho.

Earlier this summer, Jackson was valued at around £80m, but that figure has since been reduced to roughly £65m, which could tempt Villa into submitting an official bid.