Chelsea must watch on from afar as a highly-rated former starlet aims to make a name for himself at Premier League rivals Liverpool, and those within Stamford Bridge were left ‘shocked’ after his departure.

The Blues’ penchant for attracting world football’s most dazzling young talents has been a key theme of their business in recent years.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season	Average match rating
Cole Palmer	7.33
Moises Caicedo	7.02
Enzo Fernández	6.95
Nicolas Jackson	6.88
Noni Madueke	6.82
via WhoScored

Ever since Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital’s takeover in 2022, Chelsea have broken records for the number of youngsters in their squad, with OptaJoe revealing Enzo Maresca fielded the youngest ever starting eleven in Premier League history last season.

Despite some calls for Chelsea to sign players with more experience, this theme is unlikely to change any time soon. This window alone, Maresca has seen Dario Essugo, Estevão Willian, Mamadou Sarr, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Kendry Páez and Jorrel Hato join the club, with the oldest of them being only 22.

Chelsea are also in talks to sign both Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho, according to Sky Sports, while Football Transfers reported earlier this week that Maresca could sign another ‘exciting youngster’ too if one becomes available before the deadline.

BlueCo’s youth obsession is no accident – it’s their masterplan.

Chelsea have poured over £1 billion into signing the world’s brightest upcoming stars – stacking their future with talent before it hits peak value.

On the pitch, it means building a squad that can evolve together. The club’s average age will continue to be one of the lowest in Europe – with Maresca’s system set to potentially thrive on energy and development.

He’s now got a group hungry to prove themselves, not fading stars on bloated wages.

However, Chelsea’s desire to grow a roster rich with world football’s most promising starlets doesn’t mean everyone will be along for the ride.

Chelsea annoyed after losing Rio Ngumoha to Liverpool

Last summer, promising teenager Rio Ngumoha swapped west London for Anfield, and Chelsea were reminded of that fact when the 16-year-old scored a brilliant solo goal in the first of a double-header against Athletic Bilbao earlier this week.

The winger became Liverpool’s second-youngest ever senior debutant against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup last term, and many are wondering whether Arne Slot is planning a first-team role for him after an excellent pre-season.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, Chelsea have maintained a frustration after losing Nguhoma to Liverpool, and were left shocked by his move up north.

“Chelsea know how good Ngumoha is. They were annoyed to lose him. It was a real frustration for them to see him walk away,” said Bailey.

“They know losing players is part and parcel of the academy system now – you just have to make sure you have more wins than losses.

“However – within football – Ngumoha was a name that everyone knew about. He had offers from everywhere, but Chelsea were shocked that he left.

“Now he is impressing at Liverpool, it is fair to say that Chelsea’s annoyance is not going away – but to see him become a success is not a shock to anyone at Stamford Bridge.”

The London-born attacking gem is certainly one to watch, with John Terry once calling him a “top player” and tipping Nguhoma for stardom.

After seeing their team lose 1-0 away at Leeds United on the opening weekend of the Premier League, the worry in the air among Everton supporters would have been whether their side would start their new era at the Hill Dickinson Stadium with another bleak defeat.

They didn’t need to be so anxious after all, as their determined Toffees side put the loss in West Yorkshire to one side and delivered a confident performance in front of their adoring home masses that culminated in a 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls aren’t pushovers by any stretch of the imagination, but with the quality of Jack Grealish on full display throughout, Everton must have felt content that their first three points of the long campaign were going to be collected.

Grealish's standout display in numbers

The former Aston Villa attacking midfielder had been put through the wringer at Manchester City, but the enigmatic Englishman thankfully let his football do the talking, donning his new Everton blue on his spectacular home debut.

The vibrant Toffees number 18 put it on a plate for Iliman Ndiaye to score the opener after a well-orchestrated counter-attack deep into the first 45 minutes, while his second assist of the day would see the entertaining 29-year-old lay it off for James Garner to thump home the decisive match-clinching strike.

Away from those goal involvements, Grealish – who was deployed down the left wing by Moyes – would attempt five dribbles when bursting forward into space, with one effort also fired at Bart Verbruggen’s busy goal to try and make the win even more emphatic.

The former Villa hero will hope he only gets better with time, too, having previously notched up a sublime six goals and ten assists at the intimidating level during his final swansong campaign in the West Midlands.

He wasn’t the only new signing to leave a fantastic first impression on the hardened Merseyside faithful, however, with one of his midfield teammates also impressing enough to be seen as a potential new Ross Barkley for David Moyes’ men.

Moyes' next Barkley

The Toffees needed to replace Abdoulaye Doucoure effectively this summer, with a real lack of midfielders at the Scotsman’s disposal who can slot into a number 10 role.

Thankfully, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall seamlessly announced himself to the Everton masses as a worthwhile Doucoure replacement against the Seagulls – after also playing in the role behind the main striker against the Whites – with the creative playmaker possessing the potential to be Moyes’ new Barkley down the line.

While he did regularly line up as a traditional midfield option for Leicester City, it’s clear from his career numbers to date that the 26-year-old excels in a further forward position, having accumulated a healthy 35 goals and 41 assists across 306 games. To add context, Barkley has a heftier 66 goals and 52 assists, albeit from a larger stretch of games at 444 clashes.

Dewsbury-Hall would have been hoping he could add to his glittering numbers on Sunday, but despite his best efforts, getting off the mark at his new side would unfortunately evade him.

Dewsbury-Hall’s performance in numbers

Minutes played

90

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

59

Accurate passes

33/37 (89%)

Key passes

3

Big chances created

1

Successful dribbles

1/1

Total duels won

5/10

Stats by Sofascore

Indeed, looking at the table above, Dewsbury-Hall was especially unlucky not to join Grealish in picking up an assist, with only three passes being misplaced across his stylish 90-minute outing.

Moyes, watching on from the dug-out, will arguably want more from his new recruit moving forward; however, when trying to catch out the opposition goalkeeper with a shot or two, with Dewsbury-Hall still managing to pick up a reasonable five goals for Chelsea, despite his spell at Stamford Bridge being fraught with bumps.

That will come with time, however, as the Toffees’ number 22 grows more confident in his fresh surroundings.

But, his overall energy and application will have pleased the Scotsman nonetheless, with those qualities, and his ability to drive with the ball in central areas evoking memories of a fresh-faced Barkley at Goodison Park.

Dewsbury-Hall’s positive display wouldn’t go unnoticed by the Liverpool Echo, with journalist Chris Beesley gifting the 29-year-old a high 7/10 post-match rating, stating that he brings “fresh scope” to a role once frequently filled by Doucoure.

He did accidentally put Everton in a spot of bother during the game when gifting Brighton a penalty, but it was a largely promising display from a midfielder who has had his fair share of doubters in recent years, much like Grealish.

If Moyes can get the very best out of the midfield pairing across a full season, expect the Toffees to pick up more and more assured wins on their own turf.

Related New Deulofeu: Everton enter race to sign "immense" £30m O'Brien upgrade

Everton are looking to sign a right-back before the summer transfer window slams shut.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Aug 24, 2025

“You know a bowler of his calibre, to be able to play consistently for the long term, that’s where I’m trying to put in all my efforts and energy,” says LSG mentor

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2025

Mayank Yadav hasn’t had a good time in 2024 with injuries•BCCI

Will tearaway Mayank Yadav be fit for IPL 2025? Lucknow Super Giants have been working with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru over his “roadmap to fitness” and coach Justin Langer and mentor Zaheer Khan remain very hopeful, but they are also clear that they will not rush him back.”We’ve had some interesting conversations around his roadmap to recovery and fitness with NCA, so we’re working with them,” Zaheer told reporters in Lucknow on Tuesday. “We hope for their support as well, them buying into the philosophy of really looking after a youngster, because he’s not only important for LSG, he’s important for Indian cricket as well.”Mayank had an injury-ridden 2024, interspersed by fiery showings for LSG and India. He won Player of the Match in two of his first three games at IPL 2024, for searing spells of 150kph-plus pace, but then in his fourth game he walked off with an abdominal issue that ruled him out of the tournament. He began rehab at the NCA and recovered from that injury, but then he picked up a separate injury while bowling at the NCA.In October he got his first India call-up, for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. On debut in that series, he consistently hit 145kph-plus (12 balls of his spell were recorded as such). He finished the series with four wickets and with excitement mounting in Indian cricketing circles, only to pick up an injury once again. He has not played a competitive match since then, but he was retained by LSG ahead of IPL 2025 for INR 11 crore (USD 1.31 million approx.)Zaheer said conditioning him physically to stand up to the workload of bowling at such speeds, without repeatedly breaking down, was his main priority. “You know a bowler of his calibre, to be able to play consistently for the long term, that’s where I’m trying to put in all my efforts and energy, in terms of giving him the best environment which will really help him play longer without really taking these breaks. I think that’s really important and that’s the outlook which we have.”So as much as we are keen on having him [play IPL 2025], we want him 150% fit not just 100% fit so we’ll do everything possible to get him there.”Related

Fast-bowler injuries threaten Pant-powered LSG's season

LSG fast bowler Mayank Yadav set to miss first half of IPL 2025 with back injury

Pant unveiled as LSG captain, says he will give the franchise '200%'

Coach Langer spoke on the same lines, pointing out that it often takes a young fast bowler – Mayank is 22 – time for their developing body to settle and shrug off injuries. “We know how exciting he is, we watched that last year… Some of that pace last year was extreme pace, so we’re very hopeful but he’s a young fast bowler, and it doesn’t matter what country you’re from, it’s a hard business being able to bowl that pace, and with a young body, it’s going to take some time to develop. So we’re hopeful and positive, but we’ll wait and see how things progress over the next little piece.”LSG will have a new captain at IPL 2025, with Rishabh Pant taking the reins after becoming the most-expensive player ever at an IPL auction (INR 27 crore/USD 3.21 million approx.). Both Zaheer and Langer expressed excitement at having a batter of his talents in the set-up.”I have no doubt the kind of player he is, I hope he stays as expressive when he captains,” Zaheer said. “We want to imbibe those values within the team as well. When we were looking at him as captain, we were looking at a kind of flavour LSG should play. We hope LSG approach their cricket the same way Rishabh plays his cricket.””I believe in T20 cricket, most important person in the team is the captain. If I’m selecting a team, the No. 1 person is captain so we’re thrilled to have Rishabh, with his style of play,” Langer said. “We’re going to be on the edge of our seat. It’s going to be exciting to watch, he’s got something different not many have. He has this freedom, talent, and a way about him where he’s going have a real impact as captain and player.”

Whilst it has been a frustrating summer for all involved at Aston Villa, those in the Midlands have now reportedly been handed a golden opportunity to sign an impressive Leon Bailey upgrade.

Morgan Rogers wins Young Player of the Year

Although many at Villa Park will be frustrated by their inability to welcome a number of new additions as well as Jacob Ramsey’s sale coming as a consequence of their PSR shortcomings, Morgan Rogers represents a reminder of just how talented Unai Emery’s squad still is. The former Middlesbrough midfielder officially picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award in deserved fashion earlier this week.

After winning the award, Rogers told reporters: “Later down the line, I want to be one of those incredible players people speak about, so to do that I have to do what they did and what they followed after. It’s a nice recognition, but there’s more to win and I can’t wait.”

It’s hard to argue that it wasn’t deserved. The 23-year-old enjoyed an excellent season and, like the rest of his Aston Villa teammates, only missed out on a place in the Champions League on the final day after a controversial refereeing decision against Manchester United.

Appearances

37

Goals

8

Assists

11

Having returned to full fitness just in time to face Newcastle United in an opening day draw last time out, Rogers will now be hoping to leave his mark for the first time this season against Brentford.

Aston Villa eyeing fresh PSR bypass to sign "confident" Premier League star

Emery is a huge admirer…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 19, 2025

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, Aston Villa could yet take hold of a golden opportunity to secure their signing of the summer. The sale of Ramsey has given them some breathing room on the PSR front and that could yet see one star man arrive.

Aston Villa handed chance to sign Lookman

According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Aston Villa have been handed a golden opportunity to sign Ademola Lookman after receiving contact from his representatives. The Atalanta winger has been desperate to leave the club all summer long and after seeing a move to Inter Milan break down, has now set his sights on a Premier League return.

Aston Villa, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have all reportedly held conversations with Lookman in recent days to potentially ignite a late race to secure an excellent coup.

With 20 goals and seven assists to his name last season, Lookman would be a major upgrade on the departing Bailey at Villa Park and could even be enough to take Emery’s side back into the Champions League places. Simply put, Villa should be going all out for his signature this month.

واصل فريق النادي الأهلي مشواره في الدوري المصري الممتاز، بتحقيق فوز جديد، اليوم السبت، على كهرباء الإسماعيلي في الجولة العاشرة. 

وتمكن الأهلي من الفوز برباعية مقابل هدفين، على كهرباء الإسماعيلية، على ملعب المقاولون العرب، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الممتاز. 

بهذا الفوز رفع الأهلي رصيده إلى 18 نقطة، ليحتل بها المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري الممتاز بالتساوي مع الزمالك والمصري البورسعيدي اللذان يمتلكان نفس الرصيد من النقاط في صدارة الترتيب.

وأحرز أهداف الأهلي أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية كل من، أحمد نبيل كوكا وياسين مرعي ومحمد شريف والمغربي أشرف بن شرقي، بينما أحرز هدفي كهرباء الإسماعيلية، أوناجم وعصام الفيومي.

طالع.. فيديو | الأهلي يصعق كهرباء الإسماعيلية برباعية مثيرة ويواصل مطاردة صدارة الدوري 

من المقرر، أن يلعب الأهلي مباراته القادمة، في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، حيث يستهل مشواره بمواجهة فريق إيجل نوار من بوروندي، ضمن منافسات ذهاب دور الـ 32 من البطولة القارية. موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة أمام إيجل نوار البوروندي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

يواجه الأهلي في مباراته المقبلة فريق إيجل نوار، في إطار مباراة الذهاب من دور الـ 32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا في بورندي، أحد أيام 17، 18، 19 من شهر أكتوبر الجاري.

Bukayo Saka is in contention to feature in Arsenal’s heavyweight clash with Manchester City on Sunday after returning to first-team training ahead of the game. The forward has missed the Gunners last three fixtures in all competitions against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Athletic Club after picking up a hamstring injury in his side’s 5-0 Premier League victory over Leeds on August 23.

• Arsenal given hope as report states Saka could return against City

  A new report from the states that Saka could be available for selection when Arsenal entertain Pep Guardiola’s City at the Emirates Stadium. Should Saka make an early return to the fold, it would represent a huge boost as Mikel Arteta’s side go in search of their third win in a row following the victories over Forest and Athletic.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Captain Odegaard remains a doubt for City's trip to the Emirates

  The report also states that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has stepped up his training ahead of the City game, but the early indications are that it could be a fixture too soon for the midfielder. The Norway international was substituted in the 3-0 win over Forest last weekend with a shoulder problem.

• Saka missed England's wins over Andorra and Serbia through injury

  Saka made a good start to the 2025-26 season with Arsenal, scoring in the victory over Leeds before being withdrawn with his injury. The winger subsequently missed England’s World Cup-qualifying double header against Andorra and Serbia earlier this month.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Arsenal to face stern test against Pep Guardiola's in-form City

  It remains to be seen whether Saka will play a part when Arsenal lock horns with City on home soil. Guardiola’s men travel to north London off the back of successive victories over Manchester United and Napoli in the Premier League and Champions League respectively.

Chelsea chiefs could have a unique opportunity to open the door for Enzo Maresca to sign a marquee forward, and for-sale striker Nicolas Jackson holds the key.

The Senegalese was once a key member of Maresca’s first team not so long ago, with pundit Joe Cole even branding him one of the club’s “most important” players in May.

However, the arrival of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro has seemingly pushed Jackson down the pecking order.

BlueCo, by orders of UEFA, also need to trim the squad through player sales before sealing any more incomings, with Chelsea in talks to sign both Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho next.

As a result, Jackson is now up for sale at Chelsea, and the 24-year-old appears ready to quit Stamford Bridge to become a star elsewhere.

The former Villarreal star bagged 13 goals and six assists last season, including a strike in the Conference League final against Real Betis, but he has scored just one Premier League goal since the turn of 2025.

A change of scenery could be exactly what Jackson needs to really go to that next level, with both Newcastle United and Aston Villa heavily linked right now.

Villa’s interest comes amid Chelsea’s serious admiration of their star winger, Morgan Rogers, who’s rumoured to command a lofty £100 million price tag after a stellar 24/25 in the Midlands.

Nicolas Jackson could open door for Chelsea to sign Morgan Rogers

Journalist Graeme Bailey, in an interview with the Chelsea Chronicle, now suggests that the Blues could secure first option on a future deal for Rogers by making it easier for Unai Emery to sign Jackson.

Bailey claims that Chelsea are “desperate” to sign the 23-year-old who lit up Villa Park last season, and Jackson could hold the key, even if it may not be in this particular window.

The former Middlesbrough sensation was a pivotal member of Emery’s Champions League quarter-final-reaching side, bagging an incredible 14 goals and 16 assists in all competitions, including a hat-trick against Celtic and a strike against eventual winners PSG.

He also single-handedly dismantled Man City with a goal and assist during Villa’s 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s men late last year.

Rogers’ versatility as a playmaker and wide attacker could be yet another reason why Chelsea are so keen, but Villa won’t make it easy for any suitor.

It would be fair to say that Chelsea have had a good summer so far when it comes to transfers.

While they didn’t look great in the first Premier League game of the season, the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens are all incredibly talented.

Moreover, even though he’s young, Jorrel Hato has been talked about as one of the game’s next great defenders for years now, and at this point, the club look increasingly likely to sign Alejandro Garnacho.

Yet, while the Argentine is a promising player who has shown flashes of brilliance here and there, Chelsea are also being linked with another international, someone who would be a big upgrade.

Chelsea chase Garnacho upgrade

Chelsea’s interest in Garnacho is nothing new, as the club were reliably linked with him back in the January window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, the West Londoners have really stepped up their pursuit of the 21-year-old this summer, and as things stand, they appear to be in direct talks with Manchester United over a transfer.

However, while it’s been made clear Garnacho wants the move, the West Londoners have been linked with another international attacker, someone who would be a significant upgrade.

At least that is according to a recent report from Graeme Bailey, who has claimed that Chelsea are in the picture for Ademola Lookman.

The journalist has revealed that following the collapse of his move to Inter Milan, the Nigerian international’s representatives have been in talks with several clubs, including the Blues.

According to other reports from earlier this summer, an offer of around £43m could be enough to tempt Atalanta into selling this summer.

While that is a sizable sum of money, it may prove to be a bargain for someone of Lookman’s quality, especially as he would be an upgrade on Lookman.

How Lookman compares to Garnacho

So, while Garnacho is a talented player and someone who could go on to do great things in the game, Lookman would undoubtedly be the better signing for Chelsea this summer, and the first reason comes down to his versatility.

For example, while the United ace can play in a few positions, he is primarily a left-winger, with 110 appearances coming there, 33 off the right and 27 in attacking midfield.

In contrast, the Atalanta star is far more versatile and can play practically anywhere in the attack, with 100 appearances off the left, 83 as a second striker, 62 off the right, 38 up top and 16 in attacking midfield.

In other words, the Nigerian game-changer could be played wherever he is needed, which in turn gives the manager far more tactical options ahead of and during matches.

The second reason Lookman would be a massive upgrade on the Argentine is his output.

Since moving to the Serie A side in August 2022, the “world-class” attacker, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, has scored a brilliant 52 goals and provided 25 assists in 118 appearances, totalling 7538 minutes.

That means the former Everton flop has averaged a goal involvement every 1.53 games or every 97.89 minutes since the start of the 22/23 campaign, which is frankly outstanding.

Appearances

33

34

Minutes

1858′

1205′

Goals

15

5

Assists

8

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

0.29

Minutes per Goal Involvement

80.78′

120.5′

Appearances

45

50

Minutes

2809′

3574′

Goals

17

10

Assists

10

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

0.34

Minutes per Goal Involvement

104.03′

210.23′

Appearances

40

58

Minutes

2871′

3568′

Goals

20

11

Assists

7

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.67

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvement

106.33

169.90′

In contrast, the Madrid-born gem star has scored 26 goals and provided 22 assists in 142 appearances, totalling 8347 minutes, across the same period, which comes out to a great, but still less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.95 games, or every 173.89 minutes.

Finally, the Wandsworth-born dynamo proved that he can do it on the biggest stages when he scored a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 Europa League final, so there he should be able to come right into Maresca’s side and be a difference-maker from the word go.

Ultimately, Garnacho is a talented player, but from practically every way you look at it, it’s clear Lookman would be a massive upgrade.

£50m ex-Atletico Madrid sensation has told friends he's joining Chelsea

Stamford Bridge officials have given the player has instruction during talks.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 20, 2025

It has been a curious summer for Aston Villa so far. Unai Emery’s side have not brought in many first-team players aside from Evann Guessand.

The Ivorian striker joined the club from French side Nice for a fee of £30m, but forgetting deal, the Villans have been quiet as far as marquee additions are concerned.

There have been departures, with Jacob Ramsey moving to Newcastle United and Leon Bailey switching to Roma.

Next to leave could be star striker Ollie Watkins. The England international is said to be a key target for the Magpies, who Villa faced last weekend.

Well, whatever the future is of the former Brentford star, it seems as though Villa will look to sign another striker of their own.

Aston Villa's latest striker target

It will be interesting to see if the Villans can keep hold of Watkins this summer. The forward has been linked with a move away for several weeks, and with Newcastle sniffing around, another departure could be on the cards.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

Regardless of his future, a report from Sky Sports has revealed that Villa have ‘explored the conditions of a deal’ to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.

The Senegalese attacker informed the Blues that ‘he wants to consider his options during the transfer window’, and Villa could now pounce.

At this stage, it is unclear if this deal would be a loan or a permanent move, but with Chelsea still targeting more summer transfers, they may need to sell Jackson to raise funds.

That could mean Villa have to pay his £80m price tag, a fee that was reported last month.

Why Jackson would be a good signing

There is a case to be made that Jackson is one of the Premier League’s most polarising players. Yet, people like football scout Antonio Mango have highly praised him in the past, describing him as an “elite” forward.

Indeed, his numbers from his time as a Chelsea player show great promise. The former Villarreal striker has played 81 games for the West Londoners, scoring 30 times and assisting a further 12.

He also has a knack for scoring in big games, which would surely pique Villa’s interest. The forward has bagged against Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and, of course, in the 2025 Conference League final. That header against Real Betis showed some of the “elite” centre-forward play that Mango referenced.

Of course, stepping into Watkins’ shoes at Villa Park would not be an easy thing for the Chelsea striker.

With 75 goals to his name in the Premier League, no Villa player has ever bagged more, according to Transfermarkt.

The five full seasons he has spent at Villa have been impressive for the England international. He’s hit double-figure goals in the Premier League every season, with the most he has scored in one season being 2023/24, where he bagged 19 times in the top flight.

The underlying numbers from last season suggest Jackson could be Emery’s new Watkins. The pair are said to be statistically similar in 2024/25, via FBref, with the Chelsea star averaging 0.61 goals and assists and 1.13 key passes per 90 minutes, and Watkins notching up 0.83 goals and assists and 0.83 key passes each game.

Jackson and Watkins key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Jackson

Watkins

Goals and assists

0.61

0.83

Key passes

1.13

0.83

Shot-creating actions

2.80

1.84

Progressive carries

1.90

1.90

Ball recoveries

1.94

1.49

Stats from FBref

Aside from the underlying numbers, the two players both share a key attribute: their ability to run in behind.

This is something Watkins himself described as his “bread and butter” after his Euro 2024 semi-final winner against the Netherlands. Sky Sports analyst Nick Wright said one of Jackson’s key strengths is that he can “stretch defences” and make runs beyond the defence.

So, there is certainly evidence to suggest that this is a deal that works for Villa. Emery has, of course, coached Jackson before at Villarreal and knows the exact profile he would like for his side, which Jackson seems to fill. £80m is a big investment, but it could be a wise move for the Villans.

Related He’d thrive with Asensio: Aston Villa "exploring a deal" for £80m "monster"

Aston Villa could soon snap up a late deal for this exciting striker, alongside Marco Asensio rejoining.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Aug 20, 2025

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been mocked by a bookmaker following the club’s poor start to the season. Amorim has come under fire following an early run which has seen the Red Devils win just one of their opening four Premier League games and suffer an embarrassing Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two minnows Grimsby Town.

• Criticism rife following United's derby-day loss at Man City

  United are reeling following their comfortable 3-0 defeat against fierce rivals Manchester City in last Sunday’s derby at the Etihad Stadium. Amorim’s side also lost to Arsenal and drew with Fulham in their first two fixtures, though they did beat Burnley 3-2 at Old Trafford on August 30.

Advertisement

• Paddy Power trolls Amorim with bus mocking his favoured formation

  Manager Amorim has received criticism for resolutely sticking to his favoured 3-4-3 formation despite United’s early-season struggles. And such defiance has led to Irish bookmaker Paddy Power deciding to troll the Portuguese by sending a bus past Old Trafford emblazoned with the words: “The only 343 that works in Manchester”.

• Amorim holds discussions with minority shareholder Ratcliffe

  Amorim held talks with United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Thursday amid the club’s struggles on the pitch. However the former Sporting CP boss played down the significance of the meeting, joking that he was offered a new contract during discussions.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Man Utd's next match: Amorim hoping for improvement against Chelsea

  Amorim will hoping to preside over a much-improved performance when United entertain Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. His side are likely to face a stern test, however, with Enzo Maresca’s Blues having put together an unbeaten start which has seen them record two wins and two draws in their opening four league games.