In a recent print edition, Mundo Deportivo mentioned that Aston Villa are hoping to land Villarreal winger Nicolas Jackson. It has been claimed that the Villans are eyeing a move for the Senegalese wide player but could face competition in the form of Barcelona for him.
Jackson’s Impressive Form In Spanish Football
Jackson is having a decent season with the Yellow Submarine as he has managed to put in a few eye-catching displays for them out on the wide areas. The Banjul-born talent has banged in three goals and picked up two assists in 19 matches for Villarreal during this campaign across all competitions.
The 21-year-old has caught the eye at times by averaging 1.3 shots and 0.7 key passes per 90 minutes in La Liga. However, he has been a bit untidy with his ball distribution after making 72.7% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
Jackson’s current contract at Estadio de la Cerámica is set to run out at the end of this campaign. Hence, the Villans might have a good shot at landing him on the cheap during this January transfer period.
What Will Jackson Bring To Aston Villa?
Jackson is proficient at creating space for himself to get a few shots in on-target. He has got the vision to engineer a few clear-cut chances in the final third. However, the Senegalese wide player has to find a way to be more consistent with his productivity on the attacking end of the field. The gifted talent is primarily a right-sided wide player but can also function as a left-winger or as a centre-forward if required. However, there are some question marks over whether he can cope with the physicality and high intensity of Premier League football.
At the moment, Jackson is still quite raw and would need time before he can transform himself into a consistent performer at the highest level.
At 21, Jackson has got the potential to become a future star in European football. We can expect the Senegalese sensation to bring more quality to Unai Emery‘s first XI at Villa Park.
Jackson is already good enough to increase competition for places within Aston Villa‘s match-day squad. Thus, the Villans should focus on getting a deal done for him on the cheap during the winter transfer window as he has the ceiling to become a success story at the West Midlands club in the long run.
