Is Chelsea the right club for Jackson?
Is Nicolas Jackson the striker that Chelsea needs? The Gambian-born Senegalese international is about to complete his second season with the South-West London club. Yet, is he the right man to help Chelsea get back to the top of English football? Can he help the team qualify for the UEFA Champions League?
Not quite as good as last season
Nicolas Jackson got off to a good start with Chelsea. In his debut season for the club (2023/24), he played a lot of football, scoring 14 goals in 35 games in the Premier League. However, the uncertainty at Chelsea has seemingly caused strife for Jackson at Stamford Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino, who was at the helm for that debut season, was axed ahead of the 2024/25 campaign in favour of Enzo Maresca.
The Italian head coach has no vendetta against Jackson; he’s being rotated more this season. He’s coming off early in games or even late to help. Jackson also had a month-long hamstring injury, which kept him out of action between February and March.
While still games are left, Jackson has only scored nine goals so far in the league. He had a late flurry of goals at the tail end of the 2023/24 season. He could provide the firepower for some last-gasp Chelsea victories if afforded time on the pitch.
How high can Chelsea go?
At present, Chelsea are seventh in the league. According to offshore sportsbooks, they could stay there and struggle to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. They are 3-5 points adrift of the teams above them, between third and sixth. Theoretically, they can make ground on Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest as they play both teams before the season ends. However, breaking into the top few spots would require winning many games and for others to lose. It’s not impossible, but Nicolas Jackson must get his shooting boots on.
Is the UEFA Europa League OK?
Sometimes, when you go to a restaurant and ask for a generic ‘Coke’, you get the classic, ‘Is Pepsi OK?’ Well, that might be the vibe at Stamford Bridge—’ Sorry, we don’t have Champions League. Is Europa OK? It might have to be given Chelsea’s uphill task in the Premier League.
However, qualifying for the Europa League doesn’t have to be too troubling for the club. This prize would be a byproduct of winning the UEFA Europa Conference League. The team has easily dispensed with opponents in this competition, including KAA Gent, FC Noah and Shamrock Rovers.
Chelsea is now in the semi-final round, where they play Swedish opposition Djurgardens IF Fotboll. The Premier League team is primarily expected to win this tie, even if they have to travel to the icy depths of greater Stockholm. To dive deeper into the upcoming clash—including expert analysis, key stats, and updated odds visit this site and stay ahead of the game.
However, Jackson played for just 45 minutes in this European competition. Maresca has decided to rotate the team heavily for this competition. Oh, and the aforementioned hamstring injury kept him out for two of the games. His sole appearance so far came in the concluding leg of the quarter-final, when he came off at half-time. He could become a late bloomer in the competition, scoring in the semi-final and final.
Is Chelsea the right club for Jackson?
Maybe a better question is, is Chelsea the right club for any player? Upper management seems insistent on giving head coaches less than adequate time and resources to craft a team capable of winning. Financial muscle holds no value if you can embed these expensive players together. Stars like Nicolas Jackson have been brought in with the expectation of winning silverware immediately. Todd Boehly and the remaining BlueCo don’t appreciate the process element.
Finding high-quality, high-potential players to stick around on a project while the manager changes every season is a tall ask. Nicolas Jackson had a much better goal-to-game ratio during his spell with Villarreal. This sparks the debate: Is Chelsea the right place for Jackson? He’s just one young man at the club, and he can’t fix the wider issues.
Could he relish a return to La Liga? At one point, there was some rumour that Atletico Madrid was interested in purchasing the player. While other English teams have been linked with varying levels of credibility, Aston Villa nearly signed the striker back in January 2023, so they could easily resume their interest in the player. The previous untrodden path between Chelsea and Arsenal, now a standard route, could be lit up again, as Mikel Arteta has previously stated that his current forwards are too injury-prone.
