Aston Villa target Nicolas Jackson would ‘add’ to their attack should he make the switch from Villarreal, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The 21-year-old has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Unai Emery in swapping life at the Estadio de la Cerámica for Villa Park following the manager’s return to English football.

What is the latest news involving Jackson?

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness] have claimed that Villa’s newly-appointed boss Emery has ‘instructed his new club to move quickly and try to sign’ Jackson.

The Senegalese’s current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, meaning his employers may be eager to offload him in the January transfer window if he refuses to put pen to paper on fresh terms.

Jackson is believed to have a £27 million release clause written into his existing deal, although any potential suitor is likely to try and negotiate that figure down.

Villa could face stiff competition for the versatile attacker’s signature, though, as Catalan giants Barcelona are also said to be monitoring his situation closely ahead of a potential move.

What has O’Rourke said about Jackson?

O’Rourke believes that Emery will ‘quickly identify’ his attack as an area of the pitch that needs instantly improving due to Villa’s struggles in front of goal so far in 2022/23.

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In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “He's broken into the Villarreal team on a regular basis this season, and he's been a real find for them.

“He scored goals, created goals, and he's someone who could add to that Aston Villa attack because they've really struggled to score goals so far this season. So, I'm sure it's an area of the team that Unai Emery will quickly identify to try and improve.”

Would Jackson be a good signing?

Jackson has registered three goals and two assists in 19 appearances across all competitions for Villarreal this term, helping them advance from their Europa Conference League group.

While his goal return may not be too eye-catching, it is the same as Ollie Watkins’ at present despite the fact that Jackson has started fewer games than the England international.

It’s clear that Jackson is far from the finished article, but his potential makes him an exciting prospect and one that Emery appears eager to be reunited with.