Aston Villa could sell star man to rivals in order to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson: Reports

Aston Villa are ready to take Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson to Villa Park this summer, according to Caught Offside. The Senegalese striker remains linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge at the moment.

Jackson registered 13 goals and six assists from 37 games across competitions for the Blues last season. However, Enzo Maresca no longer considers him an indispensable part of his squad.

The London giants have already roped in Liam Delap from Ipswich Town and Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion to strengthen their attack this summer. As such, Chelsea are ready to cash in on Jackson and have reportedly set a £80m price tag on his head.

Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on the situation as they look for a replacement for Ollie Watkins. The Englishman remains linked with a move to Manchester United, while recent reports have suggested that Newcastle United have now entered the race.

The Villans reportedly want £60m for Watkins, who is under contract until 2028. If the 29-year-old ends up leaving, the Birmingham-based club want to move for Jackson.

Interestingly, Unai Emery worked with the 24-year-old during their time together at Villarreal, and is ready for a reunion. Watkins' proposed departure could help Aston Villa raise funds to match Chelsea's asking price for Jackson.

Will Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall leave Chelsea this summer?

Everton have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall this summer, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. The Blues will apparently receive £25m upfront for the Englishman, with the deal likely to cost around £28-29m including add-ons.

Dewsbury-Hall joined the London giants from Leicester City last summer, following in Enzo Maresca's footsteps in a reported £30m transfer. The 26-year-old came off a fantastic season with the Foxes, but his stay at Stamford Bridge has hardly been rosy.

Dewsbury-Hall struggled for game time under Maresca, registering five goals and four assists from 36 games, only 19 of which were starts. Interestingly, the player managed just two starts in the Premier League, featuring mostly in Cup games and the Conference League.

Chelsea have now decided to call time on his stay at Stamford Bridge. Despite his recent struggles, Everton have decided to put their trust in the Englishman.

The Blues, meanwhile, have invested heavily in the squad once again this season and are now trying to offload the deadwood. Romano adds that Lesley Ugochukwu and Carney Chukwuemeka are also likely to leave.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit