Nicolas Jackson revealed that he was on the verge of joining an unexpected Premier League club before ultimately signing with Chelsea, with the deal nearly finalized.

Nicolas Jackson has disclosed that he came close to joining another Premier League club before eventually signing with Chelsea in 2023.

Chelsea secured Jackson from Villarreal, and the Senegalese striker has since scored 25 goals in 59 appearances. However, he might have been scoring for a different Premier League team had circumstances been different.

Jackson’s impressive goal tally in Spain attracted interest from several top English clubs, but it was his former Villarreal manager, Unai Emery, who made the first move. Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Jackson explained:
“When Unai [Emery] left, he wanted me to go to Aston Villa, but I was injured. I wanted to leave because the [new] coach came in. I had to go, but I was injured a little bit in my hamstring. We went there, they checked and said I needed one more month, and they wanted me immediately. If they wanted me in one week or two weeks, I wasn’t ready, so they had to cancel the transfer.”

Despite the near move, fate has played its role. Jackson has since faced Emery’s Aston Villa four times, with Chelsea winning two of those encounters—both of which saw Jackson on the scoresheet. Notably, his early goal in December set Chelsea on course for a 3-0 victory over Villa in the Premier League.

Jackson’s goal-scoring form has flourished since moving to England, though it took until his second season for his full potential to shine at Chelsea. The club’s interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen over the summer unsettled the Senegalese forward, but he has since cemented his place under new head coach Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea’s improved performances under Maresca have seen them climb to second in the Premier League, with Jackson playing a pivotal role. His goals-per-game ratio this season has returned to the level that first caught Chelsea’s attention, with eight goals and three assists in the 2024-25 campaign. His combined goal contributions are now on par with his last season in Spain, after dipping to 0.6 per game in his debut Premier League season.