Aston Villa Pursues Chelsea Striker Nicolas Jackson Amid Multiclub Interest

Aston Villa have made Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson their top transfer target for the remainder of the window, aiming to reunite him with manager Unai Emery, who worked with Jackson at Villarreal. Despite Chelsea valuing Jackson at around £80 million, clubs including Villa, Newcastle United, AC Milan, and Bayern Munich are interested, with hopes that the asking price may drop closer to £60 million. Villa face financial constraints due to Premier League salary regulations, making a loan with an obligation to buy an attractive option, although Chelsea are reluctant to loan Jackson to a club competing for Champions League places and would demand a £10 million loan fee. Jackson, who struggled for consistent form at Chelsea despite being the club's top scorer last season, has accepted that his time at Stamford Bridge is over and is open to a move. Meanwhile, Chelsea continue to pursue other signings such as RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons and Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho, while Newcastle and other Premier League clubs pursue alternative targets amid the summer transfer activity.