Aston Villa in transfer talks to sign £65m-rated Chelsea star Nicolas Jackson as Ollie Watkins edges towards exit

ASTON VILLA have opened talks with Chelsea to sign £65million-rated Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson. And Ollie Watkins could be on his way out of Villa Park as Fenerbahce push to land the 30-year-old England forward. Nicolas Jackson is wanted by Aston Villa Credit: Getty Talks have been opened over a move for the striker Credit: Getty Unai Emery is determined to capture Jackson, 25, after securing Alejandro Garnacho on loan from Stamford Bridge. New Blues boss Xabi Alonso wants to assess Jackson during pre-season, though the Senegalese star is not part of the initial squad which set off for Australia today. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Jackson is still on holiday having made it to the last-32 of the World Cup this summer. However, defender Jorrel Hato, 20, who reached the same stage with Holland, is on the plane with the Chelsea squad. Jackson scored three goals in 27 appearances at Villarreal after Emery gave him his debut. He previously said of Villa boss Emery: “Unai taught me everything.” Villa would have to sign Jackson on a permanent deal as Premier League rules do not permit clubs to take two players on loan from another top-flight club. The Europa League winners have to clear all of their transfer incomings past Uefa as part of a ‘settlement agreement’ for breaching squad cost ratio rules, which limit clubs to spending 70 per cent of revenue on salaries and fees. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Unai Emery is pushing for a reunion with Jackson after landing Alejandro Garnacho Credit: Getty Uefa financial rules do not allow clubs to book the full profit on transactions considered ‘swaps’ within a 45-day period, which this deal would fall under after Morgan Rogers’ £117m move from Villa Park to Stamford Bridge. But the Rogers deal can aid Villa’s accounting because clubs who have sold a player can book the entire value of the sale on one season’s accounts. Whereas if you are a buying club, the cost of any transfer fee can be spread across the length of a contract. Jackson made a loan move to Bayern Munich last summer, but the Bundesliga champions opted against keeping him. Fenerbahce are eyeing a deal for Ollie Watkins Credit: Getty Watkins has two years left on his Villa deal and Fenerbahce are trying to tempt him with big money. The former Brentford man has scored 108 goals in 278 appearances for the club. Comment now