Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson’s future has been plunged into doubt after the Blues signed Joao Pedro from Brighton.
Enzo Maresca has been busy so far this transfer window, already adding Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, and potentially securing Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens too.
However, they aren’t the only signings, as BBC Sport have confirmed that Chelsea have agreed to sign Joao Pedro from Brighton for a fee of £60m. He previously generated interest from Newcastle, who saw a £50m bid rejected by the Seagulls.
That means that in terms of players who can play up front, Chelsea now have Pedro, Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku. The latter has been linked with Man United, and is expected to leave Chelsea this summer.
Most Read on Chelsea News
But where does that leave Nicolas Jackson? We decided to look at the potential outcomes for the Ivory Coast international.
What will happen to Nicolas Jackson?
It is fair to say that Jackson generates quite a lot of criticism from football fans, but it is also fair to say that at times last season, he was a very competent striker for Maresca. Jackson scored 10 goals and provided five assists in the Premier League alone, also adding three goals in the Conference League, and another goal in the Carabao Cup.
He was a reliable striker option, but now faces the possibility of being Maresca’s third choice at the position after the signings of Delap and Pedro. It has been reported that Chelsea would consider selling Jackson for £50m, amid interest among Premier League clubs.
So that is his first option; leaving Stamford Bridge to join another team. Secondly, he stays at Chelsea and see how it will play out with Delap and Pedro. If he doesn’t get the game time that he wants, he could always ask to leave in January.
Or, Maresca decides that Jackson is his first-choice striker, and the likes of Delap and Pedro become rotation players amid the fixture congestion with the Blues playing in the Champions League this season. However, seeing as Delap and Pedro were Maresca’s signings, and Jackson wasn’t, this one feels more unlikely.
It seems that at this stage, the most likely outcome for Jackson is to leave Chelsea, which would be the most beneficial for him in terms of getting his desired about of game time.
Click here to see Chelsea’s first team squad ahead of the new season.