Aston Villa’s completion of the deal to sign Nicolas Jackson might be what Unai Emery really wants for their unfinished business.
Aston Villa have finally reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Senegalese international Nicolas Jackson. Villa have been interested in his services for a while, precisely since last summer. They have made constant attempts to secure his move.
Last season, Jackson appeared not to be part of Enzo Maresca’s plans. That pushed him towards the exit via a loan spell at Bayern Munich after Villa failed to strike a deal with The Blues. This summer, he had to return to his parent club as Die Roten did not activate the obligation to sign him permanently. The arrival of Xabi Alonso initially gave him hope of reviving his career this year.
Unfortunately, Jackson is once again in limbo as he is not exactly part of the team’s plans. In fact, he was put through separate training sessions away from the first team, suggesting the 25-year-old striker has to move on despite still being tied to a long-term contract until 2033.
On the other side, Unai Emery, his former boss at Villarreal, has continued pushing his club to sign him. Jackson remained the Spaniard’s priority to lead the line. Villa’s approach to Chelsea even became more intense once Ollie Watkins seemed to be pushing his way out, while they also had to tussle with Atletico Madrid, who aimed to sign him on another loan.
After a long and winding road, the Villa boss finally reunites with his former player from his last spell in Spain at Villa Park. Chelsea and Aston Villa have reached an agreement on his sale.
His transfer fee is worth £65 million, which is basically what The Blues have been demanding so far. However, Villa will not pay the full amount upfront. The Lions will initially pay £47.5 million, plus £17.5 million in add-ons. He is scheduled to undergo his medical today, August 27, before signing his five-year contract.
The successful move to sign him is surely a relief. A number of fans might have been wondering why Emery has prioritised signing him despite the potential difficulty and the amount of money involved. His price tag is even higher than Ollie Watkins’, which Villa agree to Al Hilal’s offer.
Apart from his long-term contract and previous collaboration with Emery at Villarreal, Jackson’s goalscoring record has not always been consistently impressive. Last season, he only managed to score 11 goals and provide four assists in 34 matches. His tally with The Yellow Submarine was just average, netting 13 goals and providing six assists in 48 appearances.
At Stamford Bridge, Jackson only had a fine season in his first campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, with 17 goals and six assists in 44 games. Yet, in the following season, his form had already declined as he only registered 13 goals and six assists in slightly fewer matches, 37 games.
The probable reason might be related to some unfinished business. Emery was the one who gave him his first-team debut at Villarreal back in October 2021. He did so after Jackson impressed with the B team in the lower division.
Nevertheless, his contribution at El Madrigal until Emery left was not particularly promising, with only two goals and three assists. Jackson also featured in just nine La Liga games in 2021/22 and did not make the cut in the Champions League squad in the same season, when Villarreal were able to advance to the semi-finals.
So, perhaps Emery feels obliged to give him the spotlight now, at just the right time when Jackson needs it most after being an unwanted player at Chelsea for more than a year. He could also play in the Champions League again, this time under his former boss. The Banjul-born forward is possibly aware that only Emery can unlock his maximum potential. In Emery we trust.
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