Chelsea transfer news LIVE: Nicolas Jackson exile, Strasbourg striker talks, latest updates today

Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live Chelsea transfer news blog on August 20!

Xabi Alonso's men are just a few days away from an opening Premier League London derby with Fulham, which the Spaniard could supposedly enter with depleted defensive and attacking ranks.

Stay entirely up to date with the latest Chelsea done deals and rumours with our social-led live blog below!

Today's Chelsea transfer headlines

Nicolas Jackson 'training away' from Chelsea squad

Aston Villa want Chelsea defender as Ezri Konsa replacement

Chelsea transfer news today: What's happening on August 20?

The clearest signal yet of Xabi Alonso's squad intentions, Nicolas Jackson is among a group of up to 12 players training separately from the first team, with Liam Delap and Tosin Adarabioyo among the other high-profile names understood to be in that fringe contingent.

Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich and returned looking sharper than he had in previous seasons, but the arrival of Morgan Rogers and the continued presence of Emmanuel Emegha has made his position in Alonso's plans increasingly untenable.

The situation opens the door to Aston Villa, where manager Unai Emery is known to be an admirer of Jackson and where Ollie Watkins is reportedly open to a Saudi Pro League move, which would create a vacancy at centre-forward.

However, a loan to Villa is not possible because Alejandro Garnacho has already moved there on a temporary basis, meaning any Jackson deal would need to be structured as a permanent sale.

Delap, valued at approximately £50m, is separately understood to be open to a Premier League loan, while Adarabioyo - signed as a free agent - is in line to leave permanently so the club can generate a clean profit for accounting purposes.

Aston Villa are also reported to be interested in Adarabioyo as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Ezri Konsa, suggesting the links between the two clubs could produce multiple pieces of business before the window closes.

Meanwhile, Mamadou Sarr is additionally understood to be attracting attention from two clubs, with the BlueCo ownership position on a possible sale under internal review.

Deivid Washington is also said to be heading for the exit, having played only 25 minutes of football across his three years at the club, with a permanent departure now expected before the Fulham opener on August 24.