Chelsea are on course to reshuffle and reshape their dysfunctional attack.
It has already been confirmed that Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t wish to make Joao Felix’s stay in the English capital permanent, Romelu Lukaku prefers to spend another season in Italy instead of returning to Stamford Bridge, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to depart after a disastrous stint in West London.
However, the possible transfer of Kai Havertz to Arsenal is the most surprising storyline thus far, to leave the Blues extremely light up top.
Nevertheless, Nicolas Jackson has been linked to sparking the Chelsea rebuild and replacing the aforementioned quartet as the focal point next season.
What’s the latest on Nicolas Jackson to Chelsea?
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 2021 Champions League winners have decided to activate the release clause for the Villarreal striker and are set to pay €35m (£30m) in instalments for the 21-year-old.
Three unnamed clubs are also reportedly tracking the player, but Jackson wants to play in the Premier League and the Blues are planning to offer a long-term contract.
The Guardian has stated that the Senegalese has already agreed personal terms with the West London outfit.
Can Nicolas Jackson replace Kai Havertz?
The attacker made 26 La Liga appearances this year and registered 16 goal involvements (12 goals and four assists) which has attracted Chelsea to his glistening talent. He was the top scorer for a Villarreal team that secured a fifth-place finish in Spain.
Considering that this is the 6 foot 1 ace’s first full season at the first-team level in senior football in Europe, this return makes for impressive reading.
Across the continent, the £9k-per-week man ranks magnificently, as he sits within the top 11% for non-penalty goals, assists and progressive carries per 90, and his quality and effervescence could be of insurmountable importance to Pochettino.
The one-cap international has been described as “extraordinary” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig and his profile as a traditional number nine could be far more useful than the more fluid and unpredictable Havertz who scored just nine goals across 47 outings last term.
The German has been at Chelsea since 2020 and his career has involved flashes of mercurial brilliance with the highlighting being his winning goal in the Champions League final two years ago.
However, the rest of his exploits in England have been largely unforgettable and despite making 139 appearances for the West London outfit, his best and most effective position is still a subject that is hotly debated.
Last season, under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, he was often tasked with acting as the focal point, but his distinct lack of physicality and dynamism, as well as a damaging inability to hold up play, meant he often cut an isolated figure.
The addition of Jackson, therefore, is an intelligent move, and he could the key source of firepower for Pochettino.
