Aston Villa keeping tabs on £60m-rated star as deadline approaches

Boss Unai Emery is a huge fan of the Senegal international, having previously managed him at Villarreal and is determined to explore the possibility of signing him this summer.

Chelsea’s £60million valuation means a permanent deal is a non-starter for Villa, who are heavily restricted in what they can spend in order to comply with Uefa’s financial fair play rules.

But a loan deal, which included either an option or obligation to buy Jackson permanently this summer, is one possible solution should Chelsea receive no permanent offers from elsewhere for the 24-year-old.

Villa’s financial position means their business isn’t likely to heat up until the closing days of the window, when clubs previously reluctant to let players depart on loan soften their stance.

A move to bring back Marco Asensio from Paris Saint-Germain has also been explored in recent weeks but Villa are limited in what they can offer in terms of a fee.

Evann Guessand, who joined from Nice for an initial £23.5m earlier in the month, is expected to be their only “big money” addition of the window.

Efforts to sign teenage defender Jaydee Canvot from Toulouse may also be thwarted by cost after the French club put their valuation of the France under-20 international at £17m.

Emery is eager to add a right-sided centre-back to his squad, in addition to some extra firepower up front, before the deadline. 

Villa, who sold Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle for a guaranteed £39m last weekend, remain adamant they have no intention of selling Ollie Watkins to free up funds, after the striker was again linked with a possible move away.

The departure of Leander Dendoncker on a free transfer to Real Oviedo has at least given the club some wriggle room on wages.

Dendoncker departed on Tuesday after starting just 13 matches for Villa in all competitions, three years after moving across the West Midlands from Wolves for £13million. The Belgium international’s most recent appearance in a Villa shirt came in January, 2024.

Winger Leon Bailey is on course to follow Dendoncker out of the exit door as he completes the formalities of a season-long switch to Roma.

The Jamaica international arrived in the Italian capital on Tuesday afternoon ahead of undergoing a medical.

Villa are due to receive a loan fee of around £1.7m, with Roma holding an option to make the transfer permanent next summer for around £19m.

Left-back Alex Moreno could also leave permanently before the deadline with his former club, Real Betis, among several suitors in Spain and Portugal.