Nicolas Jackson admits he was enraged when a transfer move to Chelsea’s rivals fell through.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has shared details about the transfer saga that nearly saw him reunite with former manager Unai Emery at Aston Villa.

Jackson, now excelling under new boss Enzo Maresca with eight Premier League goals this season, faced criticism during his debut campaign but finished strong with 17 goals in all competitions. The 23-year-old, who made his breakthrough at Villarreal under Emery, initially rose to prominence in the 2022 season, scoring 12 goals in 26 La Liga matches as the club’s first-choice forward.

In January 2023, Jackson was close to joining Bournemouth before ultimately signing for Chelsea in the summer. However, a hamstring injury also derailed a potential move to Aston Villa, where Emery had hoped to bring him.

“When Unai left, he wanted me to join Aston Villa, but I was injured,” Jackson revealed. “I wanted to leave because a new coach had arrived, but my hamstring wasn’t fully healed. They checked and said I needed another month to recover. They wanted me immediately, so the transfer was canceled, and I returned to Villarreal.”

Jackson admitted he was frustrated at first but stayed motivated. “When I went back, I was very angry—not because I didn’t sign, but because I had to keep working hard. On the plane back, I told my friend, ‘Don’t worry, better things will come.’ I focused on improving, and when I returned, I scored 12 goals in two months.”

He ended his Villarreal tenure in stunning form, scoring nine goals in his last eight games, and attracted interest from AC Milan before choosing Chelsea. Reflecting on his journey, Jackson credits the setbacks for shaping his development into the player he is today.

“I think the most important thing in life is having people around you who push you to improve,” Jackson explained. “Those two or three months at Villarreal were crucial—I was scoring every weekend. That taught me what I needed to do to reach my goals. At Chelsea, it’s different with the pressure and expectations, but now I feel better and more experienced as I continue to grow.”