In recent weeks, most of Chelsea's focus has been on exits rather than signings. The club need to part ways with players in order to balance the books. That being said, there are also some who the Blues might not be particularly keen on saying goodbye to, that are eyeing the Stamford Bridge exit door.
Chelsea have strengthened their ranks up front this summer by bringing in Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. While the former is an out-and-out striker, the latter is more versatile, capable of playing in a number of positions, although he was brilliant as the number 9 at the Club World Cup.
That has left Nicolas Jackson in a tough spot. The Senegalese striker's finishing has been under the microscope for a while, and he has faced disciplinary issues throughout his time at Stamford Bridge as well, picking up unnecessary and poorly timed yellow and red cards that get the team into trouble.
There have been suggestions that Chelsea still believe in Jackson and want to keep him at Stamford Bridge. But the player himself might have other ideas.
€100m Chelsea player unhappy and wants to leave this summer
As reported by Football FanCast, Simon Phillips noted that Jackson became frustrated and unhappy at Chelsea last season due to over-criticism from some of the fan base. The journalist reported on his Substack that the player's preference is not to stay this summer.
There is no doubt that there are some areas where Jackson is absolutely brilliant. Technically, he is a brilliant footballer and makes his teammates better. But one thing he struggles with is his finishing.
Chelsea cannot expect to win big trophies with Jackson's shaky output up front. And now, in Pedro, the Blues might have someone capable of filling his role while Delap can be the physical presence that they have been missing for a while.
It is believed that Jackson will look for a transfer fee in the region of €100 million to part ways with the Senegalese international though. It is hard to believe that any club would be willing to come anywhere near close to that valuation. So, expect to see him remain at Stamford Bridge come next season.