AC Milan continue to be linked with a potential move for Nicolas Jackson, the forward who must once again find a new club this summer.
According to Corriere dello Sport, in discussions with Gerry Cardinale and the technical committee that will assist him Ruben Amorim was very clear about acquiring a striker who fits his playing philosophy.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
The last true striker who made a difference in terms of goals was Olivier Giroud. Last season Milan’s attack suffered a drought in the second half of the season, with Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Niclas Füllkrug, Christopher Nkunku and Santiago Gimenez all not scoring regularly.
So, Amorim has requested a significant investment to spearhead his 3-4-2-1 formation. It is early days at the moment, but the candidacy of Nicolas Jackson appears to be gaining some momentum.
The right formula
Jackson returned to London because Bayern Munich decided not to use their option to buy him. He goes back to Chelsea as a player who did not have a key role (he was Harry Kane’s deputy) but with silverware and with greater international experience.
This could be a plus for Milan, who are looking for players who know how European competitions work. Sure, it won’t be the Champions League, but even in the Europa League they’ll need to advance as far as possible for financial and sporting reasons.
Jackson could be a good fit for the Rossoneri, but they’ll need to find the right meeting point with Chelsea in terms of terms and cost. Going for a paid loan with a high option to buy like Bayern Munich did could be one route, or adding a conditional obligation.
The bond between Chelsea and Milan when it comes to the market is clear. Last summer, Christopher Nkunku headed to San Siro for €40m, while in the past Joao Felix, Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori, Giroud and Tiemoue Bakayoko made the move.
Jackson scored eight goals in the Bundesliga and three more in the Champions League in Germany, along with a total of four assists in both competitions, despite playing limited minutes. Milan are also considering him, as well as PSG’s Gonçalo Ramos, represented by Jorge Mendes.