Xabi Alonso’s impending arrival as Chelsea manager has the fans excited. But if the Spaniard is to be a success, he will need to be backed in the summer window. The Blues were below par both going forward and at the back in the 25/26 season. So, they will need to improve in both departments. But with the financial situation tight, they do not have the luxury of going out and making big-money signings like they did in the early seasons under BlueCo.
So, Chelsea might need to get creative. And one of the ways to do that would be to make the most of the talent available to them.
One player who many fans are keen to see get a second chance is Nicolas Jackson. He spent this season on loan at Bayern Munich. But the manner in which he had left last summer had raised doubts whether the club would even be willing to work with him any longer.
Well, according to a report from Kieran Gill in the Daily Mail, Chelsea’s intention is to allow Xabi Alonso to take a closer look at Jackson in the summer. It is also said that he primarily left due to a breakdown in his relationship with Enzo Maresca.
Jackson’s Chelsea exit not ruled out completely but second chance is there
Obviously, the circumstances in which Jackson left were not ideal. It had looked like he was on his way out on loan but Liam Delap got injured. And Chelsea had seemed to cancel the deal with Bayern Munich as a result.
Ultimately, Jackson got his way and the loan move was completed. Instead, Chelsea had to bring back Marc Guiu from Sunderland.
The fans have often wondered what kind of an impact that might have had on Jackson’s relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy. But it looks like they are happy to continue working with him.
Obviously, this is good news for Alonso, who will get a chance to make his own judgments on the striker before making a decision on his future. An exit is not ruled out completely, if the right offer comes in.
Jackson should have improved after Bayern Munich stint
To be honest, Jackson’s insistence on the move to Bayern Munich always felt a bit interesting to me. I had never felt that he was going to be a starter there.
After all, they have Harry Kane. Jackson was always going to be a secondary option to him, and that is exactly what happened.
That being said, one would hope that Jackson has used the opportunity to work with Kane and improve himself as a striker. His biggest weakness has always been his subpar finishing. He is elite in several other aspects.
Jackson did score 11 goals in 1320 minutes of football for Bayern Munich and went on a great run of form towards the end of the season. So, there is reason to be optimistic.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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