According to The Athletic, Villareal forward Nicolas Jackson has agreed to personal terms with Chelsea Football Club, but where does he exactly fit into the team?
The new era at Chelsea has officially begun. With numerous players on the verge of joining clubs in Saudi Arabia, the English capital outfit are going to look a whole lot different against Liverpool on August 13. The youth is beginning to file in with the latest player being Senegalese international Nicolas Jackson. Southampton and Bournemouth approached him in January, but a deal failed to get done in time due to Villareal’s persistence to keep him around until the end of the campaign.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Jackson and the west London side have agreed to personal terms. There is still work to be done with the east coast Spanish side before he moves to London, but it looks like the dynamic forward could be donning CFC blue next season. It should not be too much longer until the deal goes through with a €35m release clause set to activate. At the age of 21, Jackson is filled with energy and a plethora of strengths while still having plenty of room to grow including his expertise in the air. This past campaign, Jackson won just 30.2 percent of his ariel duels, fifth worst on El Submarí Groguet. Similar to one of Chelsea’s current players, Jackson’s pace stands out, but how does he actually fit into Mauricio Pochettino’s side?
How does Nicolas Jackson fit into this 2023/2024 Chelsea team?
Due to his athleticism, and youth, the Senegalese has all the tools to contribute not only as a creative No. 9, but a winger more than willing to link-up with his teammates in behind. In his first La Liga match for Villareal, Jackson played on the left-hand side of a 4-4-2 alongside Gerard Moreno in a contest where he found the opener against Valladolid. Under Unai Emery and even Quique Setién, Jackson spent most of his time on that left of a two-man attack. He enjoys cutting into the middle from that flank and striking the ball with his right boot.
The Gambia native is far from stationary in that one position though. He occasionally glides into the middle channel, acting as the lead option for the midfielders to thread a ball through. His quickness and creativity allows him to flick the ball forward acting as a hold-up striker or burst past a center back to receive a pass over the top of the defense.
Currently, the Blues have a unique forward situation with what looks like five attacking players on their way out including Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Armando Broja, and David Fofana are the only listed “forwards” on the Londoners’ senior team that could contribute to the team next season. Fofana is more than likely going to go out on loan in order to get more experience in top-flight football, leaving Broja the top choice for the Blues right now.
Jackson could compliment a player like Broja well who is more of a traditional No.9, strong physically in duels and in the air. The give and go’s between those two have the potential to break any top-flight backline. Who knows the kind of formation Pochettino is going to deploy, but front-three that features Broja as the centreforward, Mykhailo Mudryk, Jackson, or Noni Madueke occupying the two wing positions has the potential be be something special.
Signing Jackson does not look like the last forward player on the west Londoners’ mind, but with the kind of manager at the helm and his time in Spain, Jackson seems like a competitor that could flourish in the Premier League. His talents are box office material. Him and Christopher Nkunku sprinting at an opposing defensive line will be frightening.
The truth is, the west London outfit need answers in front of net. Jackson is not a complete product in the finishing department, but with the right care, can very well add to his game. As one of just nine qualifying players last season in the Spanish top-flight who put over 50 percent of their shots in the frame, Jackson, with the guidance of Pochettino, has the ability to be on top in England for the foreseeable future.