Enzo Fernandez, Reece James react to Chelsea’s exit-linked Nicolas Jackson
Enzo Fernandez and Reece James are among those to react to a new message from Nicolas Jackson amid uncertainty around his future at Chelsea beyond the summer window.
Jackson’s future at Stamford Bridge has been a hot topic of conversation this summer after his poor performances at the Club World Cup and Chelsea’s recent attacking transfer business.
Enzo Maresca has moved to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town and bring in Brighton & Hove Albion striker Joao Pedro, so the Senegalese international has been pushed down the striker pecking order.
Former scout Mick Brown told Football Insider in June that Chelsea are ready to accept offers for Jackson this summer amid impatience around his performances, while Football Insider recently revealed that Aston Villa are interested in Jackson.
Football Insider also revealed on 15 July that Villa are accelerating talks to sign Jackson with Ollie Watkins potentially set to depart, while Man United are weighing up an approach for the Chelsea striker as they look to add firepower to their attack.
Jackson visits Senegal during his summer break
Chelsea have given all of their first-team members that were in their Club World Cup-winning squad some extra time off this summer before returning to pre-season soon to prepare for the new campaign.
Jackson remains a Blue for now, and he has spent his down-time in his home country after posting a video on Instagram on Sunday (20 July) of him connecting with Senegalese fans and his family alongside the caption: “For the people, by the people and from the people,” with a Senegal flag emoji.
The 24-year-old’s heartfelt message was reacted to with likes from teammates Fernandez, James, Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez, among others, while Trevoh Chalobah replied with fingers-crossed and red heart emojis.
Chelsea should sell Jackson after signing Pedro and Delap
Football Insider verdict
Chelsea impressed on numerous fronts last season with Jackson as their first-choice striker for the majority of the campaign, but his recent CWC antics that saw him sent off against Flamengo will have seen him go down in Maresca’s estimations.
Not only has he made a rod for his own back, but he has seen serious striker competition arrive at the club in Pedro and Delap, with both players impressing in the Blues’ triumphant tournament, and the former even scoring in the final against PSG.
Neither of those two would have joined the West London outfit to play second-fiddle to the Senegalese international, and so it does look pretty likely that he departs, with Football Insider revealing on Friday (18 July) that Jackson is unhappy at Stamford Bridge right now.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 81 | 30 | 12 |
Man United are also interested in a move for his services, with Football Insider revealing on Sunday (20 July) that Villa now readying a move for Jackson, so it is clear that the Blues are not set to be short of suitors if they are happy to let him depart.
Even though he did do well at times last season, they have brought in two strikers who have higher ceilings and have already shown their quality, so Chelsea should cash in on Jackson soon if they want to retain harmony within the squad with a potential title challenge on the horizon.