La Liga: Chelsea close in on Senegalese striker who scored nine goals in last eight matches

Chelsea are closing in on an agreement to sign Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson.

Personal terms have been agreed with the 21-year-old Senegal international, who ended last season with nine goals in his final eight La Liga games, and talks are on with Villarreal over a transfer fee.

Jackson’s contract contains a release clause that sits at around £30m, but Chelsea are likely to strike a deal that would see them pay in installments, with Villarreal open to accepting such a structure.

Should all go according to plan, Jackson will become the first signing of the Mauricio Pochettino era at Stamford Bridge. The towering forward was not Chelsea’s primary striker option, with the club exploring high-profile deals for the likes of Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane previously. However, the new recruitment team at Chelsea has identified Jackson as a worthwhile target, and talks have progressed rapidly.

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Interest in Osimhen remains, but Chelsea is aware that Napoli’s high asking price of well over £100m could prevent a deal from being struck. Jackson will join a young group of forwards all looking to impress Pochettino in pre-season, including Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana.

The future of Kai Havertz at Chelsea remains uncertain as Arsenal and Bayern Munich show interest in striking a deal. While Chelsea would prefer to keep the German midfielder, they may consider selling him for the right price, which is believed to be over £60m.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in talks over a move to Saudi Arabia, and Romelu Lukaku also has interest from the Middle East, although he is thought to favor a return to Inter.