Aston Villa are now planning a club-record move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich.
Jackson was brought on as a very late substitute in the first leg of the German side’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, but he has featured more regularly in the Bundesliga as of late.
In fact, the 24-year-old has four goals and two assists to his name in his last five league outings, but consistent game time has been difficult to come by throughout the campaign, with Harry Kane difficult to displace in the starting XI.
Despite his stellar recent form, the striker is set to leave Bayern and return to Chelsea at the end of the season, as revealed by Fabrizio Romano.
What Unai Emery and Nicolas Jackson have said about eachother
Having worked together at Villarreal, there is a lot of respect between Emery and Jackson, with the Spaniard saying: “We worked during the one year on his skill, he improved his understanding better, how he could exploit his potential. And playing minutes and getting experiences was the next step.
“But his attitude as well was fantastic. 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.
Similarly, the forward has lauded his former manager, saying: “Unai Emery taught me alot in football. He taught me everything. When I come from Senegal, I didn’t know. I knew how to play, but I didn’t understand how to run in the pitch. I was just running like crazy, taking the ball just dribbling, making my own stuff. I think he changed all that and made me a different player.”
Aston Villa plotting move for Nicolas Jackson
As such, it is perhaps unsurprising Aston Villa are now plotting a club record move for the Chelsea marksman, according to a report from Sports Boom.
The Blues are set to hold out for £60m, a fee that would eclipse the £51.9m Villa spent on Moussa Diaby in 2023, with the winger still the most expensive signing in their history.
Although the Villans don’t usually spend big, they may be prepared to on this occasion, given that Emery is a big fan, and there are doubts surrounding Ollie Watkins’ fitness.
The Villa boss isn’t alone in his admiration of Jackson, as he has been lauded as “unbelievable” by former striker Peter Crouch.
Aston Villa storm into race to sign the best tackler in the Champions League
The Villans are keen on signing an “explosive” player.
