Aston Villa are reportedly interested in the surprise signing of Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson before the end of the summer transfer window.
The West Midlands outfit are currently in the process of finalising their squad ahead of their first-ever appearance in the Champions League.
Unai Emery has already been regularly active in the market, with the acquisition of another defender now the priority over anything else.
However, Villa are having to remain alert to the possibility of further interest in Jhon Duran, who has held a £40m valuation in recent months.
On the back of his winning goal against West Ham United earlier this month, Emery publicly acknowledged that he wanted to retain the signature of the Colombia international.
Nevertheless, Chelsea allegedly remain open to negotiating a late deal for the 20-year-old as they continue to consider changes to their frontline.
© Reuters
Villa considering Jackson approach?
Selling Duran would leave Villa in a race against time to find competition for Ollie Watkins, a necessity given the extra high-profile games that will soon feature on their calendar.
According to CaughtOffside, Villa hold a long-standing interest in acquiring the services of Jackson.
Villa were credited with an interest in Jackson during the 2023 transfer window before he ultimately failed a medical ahead of a proposed move to Bournemouth.
Club officials are now said to be assessing whether it is realistic to hold progressive negotiations with Chelsea over the coming days.
Emery and Jackson are no strangers to having worked together with the pair being at Villarreal prior to their respective moves to England in November 2022 and June 2023.
© Reuters
Would Chelsea consider selling Jackson?
Many hold Jackson's contribution at Chelsea in a negative light due to his inconsistency in front of goal, yet it is a harsh judgment when taking his numbers into consideration.
A total of 18 goals and seven assists have come from 46 appearances in all competitions, the Senegal international sometimes featuring out on the flank and having not scored a single penalty.
With a contract in place until 2031, Chelsea have no plans to cash in on the 23-year-old, yet much may depend if they view Duran and Victor Osimhen as their preferred options down the middle of the attack.
On Tuesday night, a report emerged which indicated that Chelsea had made their first formal contract offer to the latter, who is known to be available to leave Napoli for the right price.
Darren Plant
