Chelsea have plenty of irons in the fire already during this summer transfer window and they may be about to clinch their first deal. There is an expectation that Christopher Nkunku will join the Blues this summer, but one name may be on the door before him.
Reports came out on Wednesday, initially broken by the Evening Standard, that the Blues have opened talks with Villarreal over a possible move for their striker Nicolas Jackson. And now it seems a deal is close, with the Athletic reporting that personal terms have now been agreed.
The 21-year-old forward produced some wonderful form for the La Liga side towards the latter stages of the recently-concluded 2022/23 season, where he scored nine goals in eight matches. It's understood that Jackson, who has three years remaining on his deal at the Estadi de la Ceràmica, will be available for around £30million this summer, with Chelsea among the clubs interested.
Chelsea are on the lookout for a new centre-forward to try and help solve their goalscoring woes, which saw the side score just 38 times throughout the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. Jackson is not the only man being looked at with football.london understanding Victor Osimhen of Napoli and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez are also on the club's radar.
However, Jackson would be significantly cheaper than the other two and is also seen as more attainable. The Villarreal striker may be unbeknown to some due to him still being young and plying his trade in the Spanish league, but football.london takes a look at what he could bring to Chelsea if he is signed.
Personal terms agreed
Chelsea appear to be acrting quickly with this one, looking to tie up a deal before anyone else can swoop in.
The Athletic have reported that personal terms have been agreed to bring the 21-year-old to Stamford Bridge this summer. All that remains is for the Blues to agree on a fee with the Yellow Submarine.
Jackson scored 13 goals in 38 games for the La Liga outfit last season.
READ MORE: Who is Nicolas Jackson? Chelsea pursue £30m deal for Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen alternative
Release clause
Chelsea can complete a transfer wquickly if they activate the young forward's release clause. That clause stands at £29.8million but the Blues may be hoping to negotiate that price tag.
Jackson has a contract until 2026 with Villarreal, however, and that may prove a stumbling block tot aking any money off the original price for him.
With personal terms seemingly agreed, if they do activate his release clause a transfer can be completed very quickly.
What would Jackson bring to Chelsea?
At Villarreal, it seemed that Jackson did not really fit Unai Emery's way of playing and he was strongly criticised for his performances in the team. However, the Senegalese striker really thrived under the management of Quique Setién.
He's been given a lot more of a 'free role' under the new manager, where he isn't tasked with so many out-of-possession responsibilities, such as pressing and keeping the shape 100 per cent of the time. Jackson has really grown into the side since this and now looks a lot more confident.
He enjoys playing on the shoulder of the last defender and using his pace to get away from them and get on the end of through balls. The way Setién has used Jackson has really got the best out of him and that is largely down to management style.
Setién is a much more free-flowing manager than Emery, who prefers his attacking players to keep their defensive and attacking shape at all times. Setién, though, will allow his attacking players to express themselves more and do the thing they do best; in Jackson's case, this is running in behind and offering a really dangerous threat.
Standing at 6ft 1in, Jackson has shown at Villarreal that he can be a real threat in the air. Despite usually coming up against taller centre-backs, he often wins aerial duels and uses his height and jumping ability to his advantage.
Jackson's technical ability is something that certainly stands out. He is very unpredictable in one-on-one situations and can keep possession in very tight areas. Stylistically, he looks as if he would be a perfect fit to Pochettino's system – and perhaps, not too dissimilar to Osimhen and the way the Nigerian plays.
Who should Chelsea keep or sell this summer? Have your say below!
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