Former scout Mick Brown has now tipped Aston Villa to “make a move” for an “amazing” striker as a potential replacement for Marcus Rashford this summer.
Doubts over Rashford’s long term future
The situation surrounding Rashford was one of the most discussed transfer sagas of the January window, with the 27-year-old ultimately moving to Villa on loan for the remainder of the season, although the deal includes a buy option for a fee of £40m.
The Manchester United loanee has been at Villa Park for a matter of weeks, featuring just twice for the Villans in the Premier League, but there have already been reports linking the forward with a move elsewhere in the summer.
There have been widespread suggestions the Englishman is still eyeing a move to Barcelona at the end of the season, having been linked with a move to the Camp Nou this winter prior to his move to the Midlands.
As such, Unai Emery may be tasked with bringing in another striker in the summer, and Brown has now tipped Cheslea’s Nicolas Jackson for a move to Villa Park.
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Reliable reporter Ben Jacobs believes Villa could sign a top striker in the summer.
In an interview with Football Insider, the former scout said: “They’ve got Rashford at the moment, and if he performs to the best of his ability, it could be hard for them to keep hold of him long-term.
“Come the end of the season, let’s say they lose Rashford. Then, they’ve just lost Jhon Duran to Saudi Arabia, so that’s another option gone. Ollie Watkins is attracting interest from Arsenal as well.
“If Jackson is available, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them make a move for him.
“So there are a lot of moving pieces, but it’s very possible Villa are going to be looking for a new striker, and Jackson is one of the names on their list.”
Jackson has been “amazing” for Chelsea at times
Villa should have some reservations about signing the £32m forward, given that he consistently underperforms his xG, averaging 0.50 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, despite being expected to average 0.58.
The Senegal international’s form has also gone downhill after a fantastic start to the campaign, failing to score in his last eight Premier League games, which should be a cause for concern.
However, while a striker’s main job is to score goals, the 23-year-old has received praise for other aspects of his game, with Mauricio Pochettino lauding him for the “amazing” job he did last season, combining a good work-rate with goals and assists.
As such, Villa should monitor Jackson between now and the end of the season, although they may also be keen to sign Rashford on a permanent basis if he performs well during his loan spell, particularly considering £40m seems a reasonable fee if the forward is able to get back to his best.
