The £116m sale of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea was a significant blow for Aston Villa, but this outfit has been proven to be greater than the sum of its parts over the past several years.
Alejandro Garnacho has been drafted in from Stamford Bridge on loan for the season. A conditional buy clause is in place, and he effectively replaces Rogers presence down the left flank.
However, Garnacho hasn’t hit the right beats for a few years in the Premier League, and should not be expected to emulate Rogers as “one of the world’s best” from the get-go, as the Three Lions man has been called by pundit Jamie Redknapp.
With Ollie Watkins enduring a few dry patches in front of goal last year, there’s no question he needs more support in front of goal.
Would an Emery reunion with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson be the way forward, though?
Nicolas Jackson’s goalscoring record under Emery
Chelsea and Aston Villa have been in business this summer, but whether the option to sign Jackson should be utilised remains to be seen, especially when there are alternative options for the Lions to chase.
Across 27 matches in Emery’s Villarreal system, Jackson only scored three goals and supplied three assists. He was young at the time, and he went on to enjoy a prolific purple patch with the La Liga side that led to his transfer to Chelsea, but there’s a case to be made that he doesn’t quite gel within Emery’s playing style.
He might be fast and smart when on the ball, but the Senegalese striker is far too wasteful in front of goal. His loan spell with Bayern Munich last year was solid but unspectacular, and across two seasons in the Premier League, he might have scored 24 goals, but he missed 43 big chances too.
Finishing issues that have been around for years are still not improving, and the Villans may not hit the jackpot this summer, should they complete a move.
Aston Villa want to sign Jackson alternative
Jackson is a well-rounded forward who boasts a variety of qualities, but he might not be the perfect solution to Aston Villa’s problems. Rogers was a first-class finisher, and in that aspect, needs replacing.
According to Caught Offside, Nick Woltemade has been informed that he can leave Newcastle United this summer, just one year after joining as the Toon’s club-record signing at £69m.
Germany international Woltemade is attracting plenty of interest from his homeland, and Liverpool and Manchester United too. However, Villa are also in the mix, and he might just have the perfect profile to elevate Emery’s side, proving an upgrade on rival target Jackson.
At Villa Park, Woltemade would fit in just so. Clinical when striking on goal, the 24-year-old could go from strength to strength in an Emery system, enjoying a far greater impact than Jackson.
Best Shot Accuracy in the Premier League (25/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
Team | SoT (per 90) | SoT % |
Brentford | 3.87 | 36.3% |
Man United | 5.66 | 36.1% |
Newcastle | 4.63 | 35.8% |
Brighton | 4.63 | 35.6% |
Aston Villa | 4.47 | 35.2% |
He ebbed and flowed for the Magpies, but Woltemade’s finishing ability cannot be questioned. His conversion rate in the Premier League last term stood at 25%, though he only averaged one strike per game.
His positioning and presence in the final third need work, but there is so much to like about Woltemade, who could thrive in a Villa hothouse, rather than a hotbed of coals at St. James’ Park. Journalist Bence Bocsak has actually gone as far as to name the German “one of the best finishers in Europe“.
For reference, Jackson’s conversion rate during the 2024/25 Premier League campaign was 13%. The difference is night and day, and it’s not as if Woltemade isn’t a dynamic striker who can operate across a range of different areas.
Often for Newcastle last season, Eddie Howe deployed Woltemade in a deeper, false-nine sort of role, a desperate gambit aimed to stave off the setbacks that just kept on coming.
Woltemade has endured a tough first term in England, but he could find the perfect new home in the Midlands, joining an outfit who are competing at the highest level and have a set-up that would allow him to bloom into a superstar.
