Chelsea are set for a busy summer of incomings and outgoings in the build up to Enzo Maresca’s second season in charge, with some business taking place amid their Club World Cup campaign in the States.
The west Londoners were dealt a significant blow in their pursuit of CWC glory and the potential £97 million on offer if they win the tournament, losing 3-1 to Brazilian top-flight heavyweights Flamengo.
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Second-half goals from Bruno Henrique, Danilo and Wallace Yan cancelled out Pedro Neto’s early goal to hand Maresca his first defeat since Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Newcastle in May, with striker Nicolas Jackson also sent off just four minutes after replacing Liam Delap.
The Senegalese’s future has been a small talking point in some circles, especially since the arrival of Delap in a £30 million deal from Ipswich.
|
Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season |
Average match rating |
|---|---|
|
Cole Palmer |
7.33 |
|
Moises Caicedo |
7.02 |
|
Enzo Fernández |
6.95 |
|
Nicolas Jackson |
6.88 |
|
Noni Madueke |
6.82 |
|
via WhoScored |
|
Jackson, due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations next season, could also miss crucial games midway through 2025/2026 and there are reports that the forward’s exit is entirely possible this summer.
“Chelsea do like Jackson but there has been a desire to upgrade him and bring more competition in. They believe that he doesn’t have enough to lead Chelsea in the Champions League right now so have looked to bring in others,” said journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack, recently.
“In terms of a selling standpoint, they will very much listen to any offers that come in without actively pushing to sell him.
“And on the player side, he has been unhappy this season for various reasons, mainly due to what he feels has been unfair criticism and abuse from his own fans. However, at this moment he has not yet communicated a desire to leave, although that could soon happen.”
Chelsea are also believed to be in the market for another striker after Delap, so signs are pointing towards the 24-year-old’s potential departure from Stamford Bridge.
As per Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, Jackson is now attracting serious interest from Serie A, with both Juventus and Scudetto winners Napoli making contact over a potential deal for the ex-Villarreal star.
He’s deemed “no longer untouchable” by Chelsea, echoing Phillips’ previous report that they could decide to offload Jackson in the event a suitable bid arrives. It wasn’t exactly the young centre-forward’s finest hour against Flamengo, but he did prove a crucial player for Chelsea at times last season, as explained by pundit Joe Cole.
“What I would say about Jackson is he’s made himself one of Chelsea’s most important players,” he told TNT Sports, via Chelsea News, in May.
“Because he does this, he doesn’t give up. He’s hard work. He’s aggressive. All the things, he might not be as measured as other players, but he gives you this.
“Nothing is better when you’re behind him as a midfielder when you’ve got a centre-forward who will chase down everything. It’s fantastic.”
Jackson netted 13 goals in all competitions last term, including 10 in the Premier League, even if he did majorly tail off towards the back-end, partly due to a hamstring injury.
However, if Chelsea do opt to sell, then BlueCo will likely want to make a profit on the £32 million they paid to sign him from La Liga two years ago.
