The future of Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is uncertain as it is strongly linked to his move to Manchester United.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery wants to reunite with Chelsea striker Nicholas Jackson. And he’s ready to sell Starman Ollie Watkins to do it.
Emery helped develop Jackson’s career at Villa Reale nine months before Chelsea successfully bid for £32 million, before heading to the villa.
Emery is now ready to test Chelsea’s resolve over Senegal International, which is on Manchester United and Newcastle’s wanted list.
Chelsea is paying a £80 million fee for the 24-year-old, 24, who signed an eight-year deal.
That means the villa must cash out England striker Watkins, who is already on Manchester United and Newcastle radar.
read more: The £60 million Chelsea star believes Benjamin Sesco is better than him.read more: Chelsea suffers from a set-up to seal their latest transfer as consultations hit a deadlock
Watkins, 29, is thought to be hoping for a fresh challenge and is worried about the lecture being transferred all summer.
In addition to Jackson, Emery has seen other targets, including RB Leipzig’s Belgian striker Reuss Openda.
But Jackson is Emery’s first choice, hoping that Chelsea is bringing in Liam Dellup and Joa Pedro to snap Zabi Simons from RB Leipzig.
Jackson has been criticized for his scoring return since joining Chelsea in 2023 despite scoring 17 times in his first season and 13 times in his final campaign.
He recently spoke about his future after the reporter suggested he faced a “competition” from Delap and Pedro.
“Competition? There’s no competition,” he told DSports TV. “We’re all here to support the club. Everyone has a role to play. I have a mission. It’s up to the coach to make his choices. I’m focusing solely on my work.”
“I’m a Chelsea player. The future belongs to God. If there’s a change, you’ll know. For now, I’m focusing on my preparation.”
“It’s football, there are ups and downs. Last season we won two trophies. There were tough moments, moments of glory. Every season is like that. But the most important thing is to concentrate, learn, grow in the face of adversity.”
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