Reunion of the year! Chelsea striker one step away from joining his former coach

Aston Villa are on the verge of the loudest attacking signing of deadline week.

Details: According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa have almost closed the agreement with Nicolas Jackson and his camp on personal terms. Unai Emery is personally pushing the transfer, and the Birmingham club are now in official club-to-club talks with Chelsea to get the deal done, willing to spend a package over £60 million.

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The 25-year-old Senegalese, who returned to Chelsea after a loan at Bayern Munich, is not part of Xabi Alonso's plans, and the Londoners value him at around £65 million. Villa's move comes amid the saga around Ollie Watkins, who is pushing for a switch to Al-Hilal, while Atlético Madrid are also showing interest in Jackson but are only considering a loan with an obligation to buy, which gives the Birmingham side the edge. Emery knows the striker perfectly from their time together at Villarreal.

If completed, the deal would be a direct response to the painful 0-4 defeat at Brighton in the last round. It's worth noting that Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal three years ago, and since then he has recorded 30 goals and 12 assists for the London club in all competitions.

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