Nicolas Jackson has been left out of Chelsea’s preseason ahead of their friendly match with Bayer Leverkusen, with the club looking to part ways with the player. The 24-year-old has recently found himself on the chopping block at the west London club of late after being deemed surplus to requirements.
According to the Daily Mail, Jackson trained alone at Cobham today while every other player was focused on their clash with Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge. The Senegalese forward had reportedly told Chelsea’s hierarchy of his decision to seek more playing time elsewhere.
Jackson has been linked with several Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur. Of the three, Newcastle appear the most likely destination after missing out on RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. He has also been linked with Bayern Munich, although the Bundesliga club’s sporting director, Max Eberl, has denied any interest.
Chelsea have signed a number of players this summer and have offset much of their spending by selling several first-team players. So far, they have sold Djordje Petrovic, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Armando Broja.
According to the Telegraph (via Fabrizio Romano), Chelsea are seeking £80 for Jackson, who joined from Villarreal in 2023 for a reported fee of €37 million. If he reemians in the Premier League, he will miss the first match of the 2025/26 season after being sent off against Newcastle in May for elbowing Sven Botman.
“He brings something different” – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink wants to see Nicolas Jackson remain at Chelsea
Former Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the club should keep Nicolas Jackson despite the uncertainty over his future. The Dutchman stated that Jackson brings something different, adding that even with two new strikers signed this summer, the Blues need several options upfront.
Speaking ahead of the Leverkusen game, Hasselbaink told Channel 5 (via Metro):
“I’ve always said that I really like him [Jackson], he brings something different. Yes, they’ve bought in two strikers. But I think a big club like Chelsea needs several strikers on the books. He’s not going to play as much as last year, but I still think that you can use him. But obviously his value has gone up since they have bought it because he’s done extremely well. So if it makes sense for the club to sell them, they will.”
On Christopher Nkunku, Hasselbaink said:
“He’s going to want to play. He’s got [Cole] Palmer in front of him in his position, so it’s going to be difficult for him. I think he’s a player that that wants to play. So he’s going to have to look somewhere else.”Meanwhile, when manager Enzo Maresca was asked whether Jackson and Nkunku’s absence against Leverkusen was transfer-related, he said both remain part of the squad, adding that he is looking forward to how to situation will pan out.
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Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final. Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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