Atletico pursues Nicolas Jackson loan as Sørloth injury bites

Atletico Madrid are in active talks to secure a Nicolas Jackson loan after a serious injury to Alexander Sørloth. Mateu Alemany, Atletico’s men’s football director, has reportedly traveled to London to negotiate directly with Chelsea over the Chelsea forward. Atletico’s preference is a Nicolas Jackson loan deal rather than a permanent transfer. They want a loan structure with an option element, but the negotiations face major leverage issues. Chelsea’s asking price for a permanent deal is reported at £60–65 million (around €69–70m), roughly double what Chelsea paid Villarreal for Jackson in 2023 (~£32m). With Jackson contracted to Chelsea until 2033, Chelsea can afford to wait. A key factor is that Chelsea already generated £14.3 million in loan fees from Jackson’s previous season-long spell at Bayern Munich, where he did not trigger a buy clause. That history supports the idea of another loan route for Atletico. Atletico also face competition. Reports in mid-August position Aston Villa as the frontrunner for the Nicolas Jackson loan, though no agreement has been finalized as of August 17–20, 2026. The transfer window remains open and Jackson’s future is still uncertain.