One cannot exactly term Nicolas Jackson’s time at Chelsea as a success or a failure. The 24-year-old Senegalese striker has spent two seasons with the Royal Blues so far, but has not proved to be very prolific.
However, he has scored at a reasonable frequency and has impressed with his work-rate as well. Overall, he has had an average stay at Stamford Bridge, which makes it difficult for the club to decide whether to keep or sell him.
Does Nicolas Jackson Still Fit in Chelsea’s Starting XI?
Jackson has scored 30 goals in 81 matches for Chelsea so far. That’s not exactly the kind of tally the No. 9 of an elite club should have. However, those are still useful numbers, the utility of which increases further when keeping in mind the Senegalese’s hold-up play.
Still, despite possessing the speed and strength to succeed in a physical league like the Premier League, Jackson’s finishing ability needs improvement.
However, with Chelsea signing Liam Delap and Joao Pedro as their options upfront, it might not be easy for Jackson to feature in the playing XI any longer. It can be assumed easily that Jackson is going to be the third choice among the strikers for his club next season.
Pedro has impressed with his performance in Chelsea’s Club World Cup title triumph. Enzo Maresca might put faith in him and try to accommodate the Brazilian in the starting XI.
Hence, we can easily conclude that Jackson will have to spend a lot of time on the bench from the next season onwards should he decide to stay at Chelsea.
United or Villa?
United have a problem upfront, as the goal-scoring form of Rasmus Hojlund has not been good for them. They have signed Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford for £70 million.
United have acquired Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers and also reportedly tried to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa. However, the move for Watkins has not materialised yet. As a result, their pursuit of Jackson makes a lot of sense.
Still, if United do not offload Hojlund ahead of next season, especially now that they have succeeded in signing Mbeumo, Jackson will still have to fight for his place in the starting XI.
That is something that Jackson and his camp must consider if he decides to join the Red Devils this summer.
Aston Villa also want to get Jackson’s services, reportedly, as forward Jhon Duran has left the club. Villa will play in Europe next season, a luxury Manchester United will not have.
Therefore, Jackson might be tempted to shift his allegiance to Villa if they and Manchester United contend for him in the ongoing transfer window.
Either way, Jackson finds himself amid a lot of attention at the moment and might decide to leave Stamford Bridge in such a scenario.
However, for that to happen, the clubs will have to come up with offers which are attractive to him and can lure him away from the Royal Blues.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sportsphoto
Recording Date: 08.07.2025