Nicolas Jackson latest: Aston Villa face competition as La Liga giants 'step up' pursuit of Chelsea striker

By Ben Sully | 21 Aug 2026 01:37, Last updated: 21 Aug 2026 02:18

Atletico Madrid person reportedly stepped up their efforts to motion Aston Villa-linked Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.

Jackson has returned to Stamford Bridge aft spending the 2025-26 play connected indebtedness astatine German champions Bayern Munich.

The Senegal planetary mostly played a backup relation to Harry Kane, but helium inactive managed to lend with 11 goals successful 34 competitory appearances.

However, helium has not done capable to person Xabi Alonso to support him astatine Stamford Bridge, and helium has been placed successful a grooming group that are moving distant from the first-team squad. 

Aston Villa person been linked with a imaginable determination amid the uncertainty surrounding Ollie Watkins's aboriginal at Villa Park. 

Atletico measurement up Jackson pursuit

Jackson is well-known to Villa brag Unai Emery aft the brace antecedently worked unneurotic astatine La Liga broadside Villarreal. 

However, the Villans are facing contention from Atletico Madrid, who are seemingly keen to connection Jackson a instrumentality to the Spanish apical flight. 

According to Marca, Atletico's manager of shot Mateu Alemany flew to London connected Thursday to clasp talks implicit a determination for Jackson. 

Alemany is moving with a constricted fund aft Atleti precocious splashed retired an archetypal €33m (£28.3m) arsenic part of a €40m (£34.2m) deal to motion Argentine defender Cristian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur. 

The Atleti main volition effort to person Chelsea to screen portion of Jackson's wages arsenic portion of a season-long indebtedness deal. 

There is simply a content that the subordinate could play a cardinal relation if helium expresses a tendency to instrumentality to La Liga implicit each different options.

Why are Atletico searching for a caller striker?

Atletico played without a recognised elder centre-forward successful Wednesday's 2-0 win implicit newly-promoted Malaga.

Alexander Sorloth missed the crippled done injury, portion Julian Alvarez lacked lucifer fittingness pursuing his caller instrumentality from his summertime break.

The Argentine besides faces an uncertain aboriginal astatine the Metropolitano amid continuous speculation with Arsenal and Barcelona.

Atletico's request for a caller striker volition summation importantly if Alvarez leaves the nine successful the second stages of the transportation window.