Enzo Maresca could not have made his feelings towards Nicolas Jackson any clearer when asked about the striker last month.
“My perfect No.9 is exactly Nico Jackson,” the Chelsea head coach explained. “We already have a No.9. It is not summer now.
“If we can have a copy of Nico, it’s OK. I have said many times, and you can see as well, with Nico we are a better team. Nico is the one we need. Last season, he scored goals without penalties. This season he scored goals until he was injured.
“Now, hopefully he can score more goals without penalties. We are happy with Nico. And about next season, it’s not the moment [to talk about transfers].”
The tongue in cheek comment about cloning Jackson aside, Maresca is extremely pleased with how the Senegalese striker has progressed under his tutelage this season. When Jackson is not in the Chelsea side, it is painfully evident. Some of the things he does on the pitch might seem small, like his off-the-ball running, but that is what makes him such a handy No.9 option.
However, there is no doubting he needs some support in his position. Chelsea need depth, crucially, and should they qualify for the Champions League next season, having two strong No.9s is imperative for Maresca. Victor Osimhen, anyone?
Over the course of 40 games in all competitions for Galatasaray this season, Osimhen has scored an incredible 36 goals. The 26-year-old almost joined Chelsea last summer but his wage demands were too high for the Blues and he ended up moving to Turkey on loan instead. Ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, Chelsea retain an interest in Osimhen.
His future appears to be away from parent club Napoli and the Nigerian will have no shortage of potential suitors after an astonishing campaign with Gala. There was plenty of interest from Saudi Arabia last summer and given his salary expectations, a move to the Middle East could prove the most likely option for the striker.
We will see how serious Chelsea are about Osimhen and whether the club will be willing to pay the striker more this summer given their ever-growing need for a world-class No.9. Either way, in comparison to Jackson this season, Osimhen is head and shoulders above.
Some much-needed context: Jackson is a few years younger than Osimhen, who is arguably at the peak of his powers right now and the Chelsea striker is playing in a much more competitive league than the Gala forward.
Osimhen is averaging a goal every 87 minutes in all competitions, while Jackson, who has struck 12 times this term, averages one per 196 minutes. Jackson also has three fewer assists than Osimhen, although the latter has played seven more matches than the former, who missed two months because of a hamstring injury.
There is an argument, though, that bringing Osimhen to the club could block Jackson’s development somewhat. If Chelsea were to spend big on the Nigeria international’s wages, it would not make any sort of sense if he was not starting in all of the big matches, while Jackson, who has shown plenty of promise since moving to Stamford Bridge two summers ago, will have to settle for a space on the bench.
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Chelsea have released their new home kit for next season, featuring the classic Chelsea blue and a subtle print inspired by London’s iconic landmarks and creative culture.
