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By Sam McGuire
The forward had been set to move to Bournemouth for £20million just months earlier before a hamstring issue forced the Premier League club to back out of the deal.
He finished the 2022/23 campaign well with Villarreal and this late-season form convinced the Blues to move for him, just at a heavily inflated rate.
And it was apparent Chelsea, despite bringing Jackson to Stamford Bridge, weren’t necessarily convinced he was the main man for them. They tried and failed to land Darwin Núñez from Liverpool. Victor Osimhem and Ivan Toney were both reportedly of interest, as was Juventus forward Dušan Vlahović.
Perhaps surprisingly given their free spending ways, the Blues weren’t able to add to their attacking ranks and Jackson was part of Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI. The young striker was erratic, at best. He was ridiculed for missing big chances galore while being inconsistent in front of goal.
The narrative was that if Chelsea wanted to challenge for a top four finish, they would need a more reliable goalscorer.
What seemed to go under the radar was that Jackson was contributing in the final phase. In his debut campaign in England, he finished with 14 goals and five assists. Only Cole Palmer (22) scored more goals while the Senegal international also ranked fourth within the Chelsea squad for assists. Only Palmer (7.78) and Conor Gallagher (7.5) could better Jackson’s FotMob rating for the season of 7.18.
The Blues, again, failed to add to their centre forward ranks this summer. They bolstered other areas but Jackson has been the man spearheading Enzo Maresca’s new look Chelsea team. There’s one big difference though.
People are now taking Jackson seriously. Why wouldn’t you, though? He’s started the season in fine form, netting four goals and assisting three goals in six appearances in the Premier League.
Only Palmer (six) has more goals and the England international struck four times against Brighton to bolster that haul. Jackson ranks second to Palmer (four) for assists too while he’s third when looking at the FotMob ranking on 7.6. The players above him? Palmer (8.26) as you’d expect, and a resurgent Jadon Sancho (7.78).
Jackson is now fairly consistent. He’s reliable. He’s everything you want from a young, modern day centre forward. His performances are finally getting acknowledged too.
There’s a reason he’s keeping Christopher Nkunku out of the Chelsea starting XI.
Speaking on TNT Sports recently, Peter Crouch heaped praise on the Chelsea No. 15.
Crouch, a player with over 100 Premier League goals to his name, knows what he’s talking about when strikers are the topic of conversation. He said: “I looked at the stats from last year, and if you take penalties out of it, he’s ahead of Mo Salah. There’s only [Erling] Haaland that’s above him. So many technical players with ability and that have scored a lot of goals, he’s right up there [with them]. He probably needs a little bit more respect.
“He missed quite a lot of chances last year and got highlighted for that, but he’s continued to get them, and now he’s taking them. Hopefully a good season for him.”
While former Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the Blues have bagged themselves a bargain.
“I really like Nicolas Jackson,” Hasselbaink said in an interview with Genting Casino.
“He’s not just effective for Chelsea, but he causes endless problems for defenders. Last season, he scored 14 Premier League goals, which is impressive for a debut season. Many of those goals came in games where the result was already decided, so the next step for him is to score when it really counts—when the pressure is on. That’s what he’s starting to do this season.”
“That’s the next step for Jackson—he needs to consistently score at the highest level. If he can do that, I’m convinced he’ll be a £150 million player.”
The 23-year-old looks a lot more confident and assured this season. That might be one of the reasons why his underlying numbers are painting a much nicer picture.
Last term, Jackson found himself in good areas on a regular basis but he was unable to convert. He had an xG haul of 18.6 but an xGOT total of 15.9. His shot placement and finishing devalued efforts. It turned good opportunities into ok situations.
This time around, he’s a little more consistent. He has four goals from an xG total of 4.66 and an xGOT total of 4.25. His finishing is average, but that is what you want from your forward. You want them to convert their opportunities. He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing, all while not shying away from his defensive duties, something Maresca mentioned after the win over West Ham United.
Speaking to Chelsea TV, the Blues boss said: He was very good. Not only because he scored twice; the way he works off the ball has been fantastic. He and Cole, sometimes had to defend three-on-two.
“So I am happy with Nicolas in terms of numbers – goals and assists – but especially happy because the way he has worked has been fantastic.”
Jackson is slowly but surely developing into one of the most well-rounded forwards in the Premier League. He’s scoring and assisting. He’s a constant threat and he’s busy without the ball. Chelsea have spent a lot of money over recent seasons and Palmer is their best buy, but Jackson isn’t too far behind.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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