Aston Villa haven’t had an ideal summer transfer window to date.
Constant murmurs have been in the air all window long about the amount of outgoings that could desert Unai Emery’s men owing to PSR-related issues, with Jacob Ramsey the only real notable loss to date, as the homegrown Villa Park gem moved on to Newcastle United for a bumper £43m.
Thankfully, for the time being, the Villans have managed to keep a firm grip on Morgan Rogers, who has now been rewarded for his excellent performances across the 2024/25 season – with eight goals and 11 assists coming his way in Premier League action alone – with the accolade for PFA Young Player of the Year.
Chelsea will still hope they can tempt Rogers to Stamford Bridge down the line, as Villa attempt to get some more incoming signings in now, knowing that the final hectic days of the window are slowly coming into view.
Villa explore late move for new striker
Heading into their second clash of the season versus Brentford, Villa are edging ever closer to completing a brand new purchase.
Indeed, it has been widely reported that Marco Asensio is on the brink of a permanent return to the West Midlands, with a £12.9m move nearly over the line for him to leave Paris St. Germain behind for good to reunite with Emery and Co.
Ademola Lookman is also another name on the Villa radar, according to reports, with the ex-Everton attacker trying to secure himself a Premier League return, rather than sticking it out at Atalanta.
They could also do their shopping from within the English top-flight itself, with a development from journalist Ben Jacobs – via X – revealing that Emery’s men are “exploring a deal” for hot-and-cold Chelsea attacker Nicolas Jackson to Villa Park.
Having worked under the Spaniard before at Villarreal, this might well be viewed as an ideal next move for Jackson to get back to his best, with Jacobs stating that a loan with an obligation to buy could be the best route for any club to win his services.
Should his £80m valuation also drop down to £70m, it will be intriguing to see if Villa do push the boat out to land the Senegalese centre-forward, hopeful that he can strike up a vibrant relationship with Asensio on his arrival.
How Jackson could thrive with Asensio
Asensio was an instant hit with the Villa Park faithful when joining on loan last season.
From just 21 appearances donning claret and blue, the 29-year-old would manage to notch up eight goals and one assist, leading to the Athletic’s Rory Smith hailing him as “elite” and an “astonishing” asset for Villa to have on their books.
Jackson will hope he can similarly raise his standards with the magic of Asensio next to him, supplying him with chances, having also been dubbed a “monster” in front of goal by John Obi Mikel.
An impressive 30 strikes have come his way at Stamford Bridge, with that tally no doubt even heftier if Jackson were more clinical and decisive in front of goal, having squandered a mammoth 19 big chances last season in league action.
Yet, this obvious weakness in his game might not be as evident at Villa Park if Asensio can get back to the creative peak he once showed off for some of the world’s most illustrious teams.
Games played
333
Goals scored
68
Assists
43
Big chances created
78
In total, for both Los Blancos and PSG, Asensio would amass a staggering 78 big chances created from his 333 career matches, with Jackson perhaps perfecting the art of being a lethal striker more, knowing he has a lot of opportunities put on a plate by him courtesy of the 29-year-old playmaker.
That’s before you even factor in Rogers’ creative presence, with the “extraordinary” attacker – as he was once lauded by scout Jacek Kulig – licking his lips at the prospect of linking up with the likes of the Englishman and Asensio to try and prove his doubters wrong.
There is also the worry that the £80m striker might sink to new lows, as even more chances are wasted, but with Emery’s immense track record with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran also on side, he could equally be a hit in his fresh location partnered next to Asensio.
