Aston Villa ready to break transfer record to sign Chelsea outcast in the summer window: Reports

Premier League side Aston Villa are reportedly willing to break their transfer record to sign Chelsea outcast Nicolas Jackson this summer. According to TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey, the Senegalese forward is a top target for Unai Emery.

Jackson joined the Blues from Villarreal for a reported £32 million fee in the summer of 2023. In his first two seasons at the club, he bagged 30 goals and 12 assists in 81 games across all competitions.

He drew flak for his inconsistent performances and fell out of favour with manager Enzo Maresca at the start of the 2025-26 season. He was sent on loan to German giants Bayern Munich, for whom he racked up 11 goals and four assists in 34 games (15 starts).

Now back from his loan spell, Jackson is willing to earn a spot in the lineup under newly-appointed Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso. However, the club are not averse to the idea of selling him and would require a fee in excess of £60 million to part ways with the marksman.

Villa have already engaged in two transfer deals with Chelsea this summer. Morgan Rogers moved to Stamford Bridge for a British-record £117 million fee, while Alejandro Garnacho has gone the other way on a season-long loan.

According to Bailey, the two clubs have now commenced talks over a potential move for Jackson, who first emerged onto the scene under Emery at Villarreal. His familiarity with the coaching setup alongside his pace and movement make him an ideal candidate for the Villans.

The Birmingham side recently smashed their transfer record to sign breakout FIFA World Cup star Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for a reported £52 million fee. It will be interesting to see if they are willing to break the record again in order to land Jackson in this transfer window.

Chelsea submit opening bid to sign breakout FIFA World Cup star from Bundesliga side – Reports

Premier League giants Chelsea have submitted an opening bid to sign Bosnian youngster Kerim Alajbegovic from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

A product of Leverkusen’s academy, Alajbegovic joined Austrian side RB Salzburg for a €2 million fee in July 2025. After a stellar 2025-26 campaign that saw him rack up 13 goals and four assists in 44 games, he was named in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

At the tournament, the 18-year-old turned heads with his impressive performances – including a stunning goal against Qatar. Leverkusen triggered the €8 million buy-back clause to re-sign him in July 2026; however, the youngster has supposedly submitted a request to move away from the club.

According to Kicker (via GGFN), Chelsea have submitted an opening bid worth over €30 million for Alajbegovic. Leverkusen, however, are believed to be holding out for a fee in excess of €40 million including performance-related bonuses.