Chelsea are looking to beat several Premier League sides to the signing of Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson, sources have told 90min.
The Senegal international was one of La Liga's breakout stars of the 2022/23 season, scoring 12 goals in 26 games for the Yellow Submarine.
He came close to leaving Villarreal midway through the season, with 90min reporting in January that Bournemouth backed away from a deal due to concerns over injuries which arose in his medical.
The Cherries have been exploring a fresh deal to sign Jackson this summer after securing Premier League safety, but they face strong competition for his signature.
Aston Villa are in talks with Jackson - the 21-year-old worked under Unai Emery during his time at Villarreal - while Newcastle United have been offered the chance to sign him.
And 90min understands that Chelsea are now firmly in the race to sign Jackson this summer.
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The Blues are expected to have another busy transfer window. 90min reported earlier on Friday that they are in active negotiations with Inter over the futures of Romelu Lukaku, Kalidou Koulibaly and Andre Onana, while Arsenal and Bayern Munich are in talks over Kai Havertz.
Chelsea have also reignited their interest in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, with the Seagulls holding out for a fee close to £100m. Conor Gallagher could head to the Amex Stadium as part of the deal, while Brighton remain keen on keeping Levi Colwill following last season's loan spell.
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On this week's edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Toby Cudworth is joined by Graeme Bailey and Sean Walsh to discuss the latest transfer news. On the agenda is future of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi's shock move to Inter Miami, Declan Rice's proposed Arsenal deal, Tottenham's summer plans and more.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Chelsea hoping to beat Premier League clubs to signing of Nicolas Jackson.