Nicolas Jackson to Manchester United: Would Chelsea be wrong to sell maligned striker?

Two years into his Chelsea career, and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone without an opinion on Nicolas Jackson. 

The Senegal international divides viewpoints more than most: you either love him, support him to a hilt and believe in the forward’s potential, or think the Blues need an upgrade at centre-forward. 

Indeed, the voices of those who fall into the latter camp have grown increasingly louder over the past three months, following Jackson’s reckless dismissals against Newcastle United in the Premier League and Flamengo in the Club World Cup. 

The first happened in a match many believed could potentially decide Chelsea’s top-five fate in Enzo Maresca’s first season, and the recent sending-off came just moments after his introduction against the Brazilian giants in the United States.

68' You can’t script this.
Nicolas Jackson subbed on… and sent off 4 minutes later ??

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Reports have since emerged that Chelsea would be willing to sell the forward this summer for around £100m, a fee many consider excessive given the perception surrounding the former Villarreal player, whose finishing ability and discipline have been questioned.

Nicolas Jackson’s Chelsea stats

For many, that dismissal in Philadelphia was the final straw for a player whose discipline had been a source of frustration in years one and two. 

It was a running joke in his first season that he accumulated more yellow cards than goals early on in English football after picking up five bookings in the opening six Premier League rounds — mostly for dissent or delaying restarts rather than actual fouls — with his only goal coming in a 3-0 top-flight win over Luton Town. 

Jackson has since scored 23 more non-penalty goals, bringing his total to 24 in 65 league appearances, while his 10 assists lift the 24-year-old to 34 goal involvements. 

Those are undeniably commendable figures for a forward whose top-flight experience at a high level was limited before transferring from Villarreal in summer 2023, but also one who has had to adapt to different head coaches at Stamford Bridge and a constantly changing group of teammates.

However, the figures likely to be cited in any objective analysis of the Senegal international’s Premier League performance are 24 and 19, representing the big chances missed in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, respectively. 

Considering the forward's underlying statistics, the Chelsea striker's finishing underperformance is highlighted by his Expected Goals (xG) totals for the 2023-2024 season — 18.6 — and the 2024-2025 season — 12.3. 

Since Jackson scored 14 and 10 goals in those seasons, the clear conclusion is that while the former Villarreal striker is on the receiving end of goalscoring opportunities, his execution is unreliable, confirming Chelsea's need for a different striker and ultimately a sale.

However, context should not be ignored. 

Should Chelsea sell Jackson to Manchester United?

Manchester United and Newcastle United have reportedly emerged as Premier League clubs considering a move for Jackson, who signed a new contract in September 2024 to remain at the club until 2033. 

Despite Chelsea’s willingness to do business with English rivals, they may regret allowing Jackson to leave for top-four challengers like Newcastle or Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils. 

While his failure to convert numerous clear-cut chances frustrated fans, his ball-striking and presence in the penalty area during his debut season also revealed flaws that undermined his ball-carrying and combination with teammates. 

Notably, however, Jackson's finishing in the first half of last season indicated improvement in his chance conversion, while his more forceful, albeit still imperfect, ball striking showed progress in that regard. 

The Chelsea striker’s conversion of both goals in the London derby win over West Ham United, his finish in the 2-1 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield, his outside-of-the-boot effort in the victory at Leicester City and his goal in mid-December's West London derby against Brentford all displayed signs of promise for the Blues. 

Meanwhile, his shot from outside the box later in the season against Everton was a reward for his improved ability to generate more power behind his shots. 

While his goalscoring decline, subsequent hamstring injury and sending-off against Newcastle have resurrected doubts about his long-term future at Stamford Bridge, Jackson’s mentality in handling the pressure of being the top centre-forward at a so-called big-six club and his steady improvement in addressing some deficiencies in his game under different head coaches in West London is to the 24-year-old’s credit. 

An undeniable menace in transition and competent with his back to goal, Jackson’s threat is lessened in occupying defenders, attacking crosses and playing in tight spaces, which Liam Delap and Joao Pedro address for Maresca’s side. 

Having all three profiles at Chelsea provides their Italian manager with several tactical options depending on the opponent, further making the Blues multidimensional in the attacking third.

Online trolls or not, Jackson and Chelsea are about to benefit from two years of growing pains. 

Any decision to let go of the Senegal international would be unwise; what he has always needed was support to shoulder the centre-forward duties, not the heave-ho in West London.