Aston Villa reportedly eyeing out-of-favor Chelsea striker

It's been a quiet summer for Aston Villa, primarily due to Profit and Sustainability Rules. Evann Guessand and Yasin Ozcan are the only notable additions. Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey highlight Villa's outgoing talent. 

Ramsey's $60.3M sale to Newcastle United is significant for Villa, as the entire fee counts as pure profit due to his status, as he was an academy product. Such an influx of profit should help Villa as they look to round out their summer recruitment. 

According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa has begun to explore what it would take to acquire Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.

"Aston Villa are pushing to sign Nicolas Jackson — he’s a top target for Unai Emery,"  Romano reported. "Emery and Jackson previously worked together at Villarreal and had an excellent relationship. Talks are ongoing over formula/structure of the deal as Villa are also aware of competition from other clubs."

Jackson has been with Chelsea for two seasons. He stood out during his debut year in London, scoring 14 Premier League goals and adding five assists in 35 appearances. Last season, he added another 10 goals and five assists. Unfortunately for Jackson, Chelsea's additions of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro have ensured that his future with the club is all but over.

“He (Jackson) is available, but he’s not going to be part of the squad," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca recently told the media. "As we said, we have two strikers, two players in that position, and also we know that something can happen before the window closes.”

At Vil la, Jackson would likely be given a starring role. He's young enough to fit into the current project at the club and is talented enough to fire them back into contention for a Champions League place. 

Nevertheless, a move to Villa isn't guaranteed. Multiple teams are reportedly interested in signing Jackson before the summer transfer window closes. And, with Chelsea seemingly open to allowing the move to happen, we could witness a bidding war. 

If that does become the case, Villa will quickly need to bow out of the running.