Chelsea transfer news: Why Morgan Rogers arrival should not lead to Nicolas Jackson Aston Villa move

When reports emerged on Saturday evening that Chelsea had agreed to sign Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers in a £117m deal, it led to a number of questions being asked.

Where does Xabi Alonso envisage playing the club-record addition? Is Rogers a certain starter? Which Chelsea player could leave to accommodate the England international in the first-team squad?

Much may depend on whether Alonso deploys a 3-4-2-1, 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, but it soon became apparent that Nicolas Jackson's place in the squad may be at risk.

That is despite Alonso already telling the media that the Senegal international will be part of the travelling squad for the pre-season trip to Australia and Asia.

At a time when Jackson is being linked with a transfer to Aston Villa, Sports Mole outlines why Chelsea should rule out any possibility of the former Bayern Munich loanee moving to the West Midlands.

Are Rogers, Jackson competing for same Chelsea starting spot?

Rogers is very much the modern-day versatile attacker. He has spent time in as a number 10, winger and centre-forward at various points of his career, and Unai Emery used the 23-year-old in all creative roles during his time at the club.

There is a strong possibility that Alonso opts for a 3-4-2-1, leaving it plausible that Rogers and Cole Palmer could be used behind Joao Pedro in the final third.

That would leave Jackson on the substitutes' bench, but Alonso may see him as a number nine in that formation due to his ability to press defences effectively.

He would compete directly with Rogers if a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 is used. Rogers contributed 13 goals and six assists from 35 Villa appearances as a left winger, and that is a strong enough record to see him selected above Jackson.

At the same time, even with Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian in the squad, a four-strong attack of Palmer, Pedro, Rogers and Jackson could plausibly be selected, with Pedro as the number 10.

The general point in keeping Jackson would be for Alonso to retain players who can play in a number of roles. Alonso would not get that with Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.

Chelsea should keep Jackson, sell other attacking assets

Garnacho has been linked with both Roma and Villa, while it remains to be seen what happens with Gittens given that he has not played since January.

BlueCo need to generate funds to comply with the Premier League's and UEFA's financial regulation, and facilitating deals for the aforementioned duo and Liam Delap should be their priorities.

If Chelsea receive a bid of £60m for Jackson, it feels likely that they will sell, but BlueCo should recognise that the above three squad members cannot have the same impact on his Chelsea squad as Jackson.

They should also take into account the understanding between Palmer and Jackson. In 75 matches together, they have directly joined forces to assist the other on 15 occasions.

Aston Villa would strike gold with Emery, Jackson reunion

Aston Villa being interested in Jackson is not a random occurrence, with Unai Emery and the striker having already worked together during their time at Villarreal.

Although Jackson's best period with the Yellow Submarine came after Emery left for Villa in October 2022, it was the Spaniard who gave him his debut.

Emery has also wanted to reunite with Jackson in the past, a clear sign that he believes that he can get the best out of someone who has divided opinion throughout his career.

That is despite Jackson largely being used as a centre-forward at Villarreal. If he moves to Villa this summer, only an Ollie Watkins injury or exit would see him become first choice down the middle of the attack.

While Jackson would not be viewed as a number 10 by Emery, starts would be frequent on the flank. Villa are extremely light in that area of the pitch, and Villa would not pay £55m+ on a player who would not be a regular starter.

Jackson's combined record at Villarreal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich reads 54 goals and 20 assists from 163 appearances. Given his strong relationship with Emery, Chelsea should be more concerned with strengthening a direct rival than ticking a box on their accounts.