Cameron Smith
Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea
© IMAGO
Nicolas Jackson is reportedly “tired” of being compared to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.
The Senegal international has been frequently dubbed “the next Drogba” since his move from Villarreal in July 2023, yet he believes that such comparisons are unfounded.
That is according to The Daily Mail, who claim that Jackson has been eager to dismiss suggestions that he could emulate Drogba’s immense impact at Stamford Bridge.
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The report states that Jackson has insisted that Drogba is a “legend”, while he is simply a “nobody” in comparison.
The 23-year-old has found his feet at Stamford Bridge in recent months and he has developed into one of the Premier League’s most deadly forwards since Enzo Maresca’s arrival as Chelsea head coach.
Jackson has already scored seven goals in 12 league appearances so far this campaign, while he recently hit the 20-goal mark for Chelsea - achieving the feat in just 44 games (six fewer than Drogba).
However, the ex-Villarreal star believes he still has a long way to go to justify comparisons with Drogba. The Ivorian won 14 trophies, including the Champions League, during his career in west London, tallying a total of 164 goals for the Blues.
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Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea
© IMAGO - Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea
Enzo Maresca on Nicolas Jackson
Despite links with Victor Osimhen, Liam Delap and Evan Ferguson, among others, Chelsea boss Maresca has insisted that he is extremely happy with Jackson.
Following the Blues’ 2-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday, Maresca told reporters: “He’s doing very well. I’ve said many times since we started, he’s working hard on the ball and off the ball. He is making an effort to understand the way we want to play.
“Sometimes we use him almost as a midfielder, dropping. Sometimes we use him attacking behind, like against Brighton or even today. It depends a little bit on the game plan.
“We are very happy with Nico and the way he is playing on the ball, but especially the way he is playing off the ball, the way he is pressing. In this moment we are very happy and we are sure he is going to improve and do even better game after game.”