Chelsea are waiting to see how the repercussions of the race for Benjamin Sesko between Manchester United and Newcastle United will impact their own summer with Nicolas Jackson.
The two Uniteds went head-to-head with Sesko as their top targets, each submitting offers for the 22-year-old RB Leipzig striker who appears closer to Old Trafford than St James’ Park. It is anticipated that the losing party could try turning to Jackson instead.
However, Chelsea insiders insist they will not let Jackson leave on the cheap as they value him highly as a 24-year-old striker who has proven he can score in the Premier League.
Sources confirmed to Confidential yesterday that they believe Jackson is worth more than the £75million packages which have been submitted for Sesko this week – and also the £79m that Liverpool paid Eintracht Frankfurt for Hugo Ekitike this summer.
Time will tell how firmly Chelsea stick to their valuation with it looking increasingly likely that Jackson will be sold this summer, if not to the loser in the Sesko scrap then somewhere else.
Chelsea signed Jackson from Villarreal for £32m two years ago and he now has competition at No 9 with Liam Delap, while the versatile Joao Pedro was also brought in this summer.
Nicolas Jackson is seen as an alternative to whoever loses the Benjamin Sesko race
Sesko appears to be closing in on a move to Manchester United, and Chelsea want more than his roughly £75million fee for Jackson
The Blues also cite the £79m that Liverpool paid Eintracht Frankfurt for Hugo Ekitike
If Jackson leaves, it remains to be seen if the Blues will look at bringing in another striker with Marc Guiu, 19, on the verge of joining Sunderland in a season-long loan.
The numbers between Jackson and the forwards Chelsea are comparing him to do stack up. The Senegal striker has 30 goals in 81 games in all competitions since joining the Blues two years ago, while Sesko scored 39 in 87 for Leipzig in that time and Ekitike 26 in 64 for Frankfurt.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are continuing to work on signing Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig with the German club already looking at potential replacements for their 22-year-old attacker after contacting Liverpool on Harvey Elliott.
An official bid is likely to be logged for Simons after so much legwork, with the Blues aware that the 28-cap Netherlands international is interested in the move.
Estevao is staying
After Kendry Paez was sent on a season-long loan to Strasbourg last week, Confidential made checks on Chelsea’s plans for Estevao Willian after the wonderkid’s arrival from Palmeiras.
Sources in the 18-year-old Brazilian’s camp insist he will be staying within Enzo Maresca’s first team for the upcoming season and insiders at the club have also confirmed that plan.
Chelsea received enquiries on Estevao this summer on the off chance that the youngster with five caps for Brazil was available on a season-long loan, but it is believed that he can contribute around Stamford Bridge this campaign as he settles in to his new life in London.
As shown by their securing of Paez and Estevao, among others such as Aaron Anselmino and Andrey Santos, South America is an area in which Chelsea want to find the next super-starlet.
Estevao Willian with his new Chelsea team-mates after playing against them for Palmeiras
Fellow South American Kendry Paez is off to sister club Strasbourg on loan this season
Estevao was impressive for Palmeiras at the Club World Cup – including against Chelsea in the quarter-final – and is now ready to contribute to Maresca’s forward line.
It is now two years since they hired Alysson Marins, the former Corinthians chief scout, to help man that continent. Marins is not at home in Brazil this week, however.
He is in London, having helped Chelsea secure Estevao in the first place with the teenager arriving at Cobham on Monday to begin pre-season preparations with his new team-mates under Maresca.
Revealed: Chelsea academy hotshot to leave
Chelsea are losing one of their most promising academy talents with Donnell McNeilly having turned down their offer of a new deal.
The 19-year-old striker joined the club in the Under 12s age group and was routinely the top scorer in whichever age group he has represented.
But he is now exploring his options in England and Europe as he is out of contract.
Unlike others at Cobham, McNeilly never got his chance within the first team.
Donnell McNeilly has been with Chelsea for eight years and will now depart after turning down a new deal
Terry-backed defender also set for exit
Alfie Gilchrist is another academy graduate who is set to leave Chelsea with Confidential told four Championship clubs have declared their interest in signing him permanently.
The 21-year-old right back spent last season on loan at Sheffield United in England’s second tier and has made 17 appearances for Chelsea’s first team in total.
John Terry previously tipped Gilchrist to follow in his own footsteps. Speaking to Confidential, Terry said: ‘Literally from the first training session in which I saw him, he reminded me of myself.
‘He was keen to learn, asking me questions about defending and constantly picking my brains over what I would do in different situations. And he’s 100 per cent in everything he does.’
Middlesbrough’s signing of Callum Brittain from Blackburn this week is expected to kickstart a domino effect involving right backs in the Championship, accelerating Gilchrist’s exit. He can also be used at centre back, and Derby and Watford are among those interested at around £5m.
Alfie Gilchrist played 17 times for Chelsea’s first team in the 2023-24 season, scoring his only goal for his boyhood club in a 6-0 win over Everton in April 2024
Sterling’s state of mind
Raheem Sterling is training separately from Chelsea’s main group at Cobham, but there are no hard feelings between him and the club as both parties recognise the need for a clean break.
Sterling’s preference is to stay in London, though his situation is not expected to be resolved soon as clubs are likely to wait until closer to the end of the window before making their moves.
West Ham, Fulham and Crystal Palace are among those who are monitoring him, Confidential has heard, while there are other options in Europe which Sterling could explore this month.
Chelsea stars go old-school on the gram
Chelsea’s Club World Cup stars spent some of their three-week break uploading pictures of themselves to their Instagram wearing old-school shirts while on their holidays.
Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo and Enzo Fernandez were among them, and it represented free advertising for the Blues as they have the retro range for sale in their club shop.
Chelsea also released a limited-edition shirt marking their 120th anniversary on Tuesday. There were 1,905 available in a nod to the year they were founded and despite costing a whopping £200, the website said the item was out of stock within 12 hours.
An easy way to make £381,000 if ever there was one!
Raheem Sterling is back at Chelsea but will train on his own again as he looks to secure a move
FIFA silent on PSG and Enrique
Despite Confidential badgering them, FIFA have not yet confirmed any disciplinary charges against Paris Saint-Germain for the aggro that following the full-time whistle in last month’s Club World Cup final.
That included PSG manager Luis Enquire slapping Joao Pedro in the face amid a melee involving goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It could be that they get away with their angry reaction after missing out on the chance to become world champions.
