Chelsea and Enzo Maresca are brimming with confidence since their Club World Cup triumph in the United States where they hammered PSG in the final.
Many fans have started believing that the Blues could challenge for the Premier League crown as Maresca admitted the gap between Chelsea and the top teams in England like Manchester City, Liverpool, etc. have reduced this summer with their meticulous signings.
The Blues will begin their Premier League 2025/26 campaign against Crystal Palace on Sunday at the Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of the clash between two London teams, Maresca spoke to the media shedding light on several topics including Nicolas Jackson’s future at the club.
“He is training with us, but he won’t play the match,” Maresca stated about the Senegal international before adding, “You already know the situation. The transfer window is open, he could leave, and we’ll see.”
Jackson has fallen out of favour of the Italian manager with some erratic performances last season which forced the club to sign strikers like Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
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Pedro has already made the striker position his own with some splendid performances in the Club World Cup whereas Delap also showed promise in his limited opportunities, hence making life more difficult for Jackson.
Although the Senegalese is not banished by Chelsea, he has been told that his services are not needed and hence he has been linked several clubs including Newcastle United.
What next for Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson?
Several reports suggest that Chelsea value his quality and his proposition as a striker, but they are not ready to fulfill his demands of being the club’s first team regular in the presence of Pedro and Delap.
The 24-year-old moved to Chelsea in 2023 after a breakthrough season in La Liga for Villarreal. He scored 17 goals in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, but things went downhill since Maresca’s appointment.
Jackson finished with 13 goals last season while 10 of them came in the Premier League from 30 appearances but there was a lot of criticism around his missed chances and his overall ability of leading the lines for Chelsea.
Newcastle United have been linked with the 24-year-old striker as they aim to find a replacement for Alexander Isak, who is eager to move to Anfield this summer.
However, there are reports that Newcastle bosses are unsure about the Senegalese forward and his capability of replacing the Swede as they are also considering a move for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa.
Jackson also has suitors from Serie A with clubs like Juventus and Napoli showing interest in the 24-year-old, who has represented Senegal 20 times.
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