Unai Emery has enjoyed a solid start in charge of Aston Villa, with the Spaniard guiding the club to two Premier League wins from three matches before the World Cup hiatus.
There is still room for improvement, however, and with the January transfer window fast approaching, the 51-year-old will surely be keen to stamp his authority on the team.
One area which should be strengthened is the attacking department, especially considering that Villa have scored just 16 league goals all season.
Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings are the only two recognised strikers at the club and have netted three and six goals respectively, and with the Midlands outfit linked with Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson, it may give Emery the chance to ditch Ings.
It may be true that the Englishman is his club’s top scorer this season, but his performances haven’t exactly set the world on fire. He has an average Sofascore rating of 6.88/10 while taking 17.6 touches and making just 7.4 passes per match.
The 30-year-old is currently earning £120k-per-week, and this money could be better spent elsewhere. Emery knows Jackson well from their mutual time at Villarreal, and the Senegal gem could be an excellent prospective signing to boost Villa’s goalscoring record.
The 21-year-old may not have a wealth of experience at senior level, making just 48 appearances, but his talent seems vast, and enticing the forward to join the Premier League club could be a big statement of intent by Villa.
He has established himself in the first team at the Estadio de la Cerámica this season, scoring twice, grabbing two assists, creating four big chances and succeeding with 58% of his dribbles.
Senegal U20 coach Youssouph Dabo praised the youngster’s style of play, saying: “He is a good profile with technical qualities who also tends to put on a show.”
The Villarreal star can play anywhere across the front three, and this versatility will be an added bonus for Emery. If the 51-year-old can add Jackson to his side, the wonderkid could shine in England.
