Manchester United have emerged as top contenders to sign Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson after the player is said to have turned down Napoli and AC Milan for the chance to remain in the Premier League. Jackson signed with the Blues from Villarreal over the summer and is said to be open to moving to Old Trafford, where he would be afforded the primary striking role by Ruben Amorim.
The future at Stamford Bridge for the 23-year-old is no longer certain after the Blues’ recent acquisition of attacking reinforcements. First, Liam Delap rejected a move to United to join Chelsea and took Jackson’s place in the team immediately. Second, João Pedro signed and caught everyone’s eye by scoring two goals on his starting debut in the Club World Cup and another goal against PSG in the final.
Jackson, on the other hand, was an unused substitute for the whole 90 minutes of that final, a decision possibly resulting from his two red cards in his last four matches.
Nicolas Jackson Remains Popular for European Clubs
Despite his poor discipline, Jackson remains popular this year. He scored 10 league goals and claimed five assists in the last season, aiding Chelsea in claiming fourth spot and a UEFA Conference League title, where he scored in the final comeback victory against Real Betis.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca previously declared that he’d like to “clone” Jackson if the team were to sign a second striker:
“My perfect No9 is exactly Nico Jackson. We already have a No9. It’s not the summer now. If we can have a copy of Nico, it’s OK. With Nico, we are a better team. Nico is the one we need.”
However, Chelsea now rate Jackson at £80 million and will sell if that is offered. Manchester United have already approached Jackson’s agent, Ali Barat, regarding a transfer. Villa manager Unai Emery is also keeping tabs on the situation, having previously worked with the striker at Villarreal.
Jackson is away in Senegal on vacation but will soon make a decision. Whether it’s a flat-out no for cash or a player exchange for the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, United’s increasing interest could put pressure on Chelsea to decide on a sale before the window closes.
