Nicolas Jackson has requested to leave Chelsea before the window shuts, according to various reports.
The Senegal international is on his way out of Stamford Bridge just two years after joining. Jackson is a player who has divided the Chelsea fanbase since he arrived from Villarreal.
Some view him as a diamond in the rough, with his underlying numbers suggesting that there is potentially an elite striker there, while others have given up on him due to his erratic finishing and short temper.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has taken a middle ground, not actively looking to get rid of Jackson but nevertheless welcoming the fact that Joao Pedro and Liam Delap have been signed as ostensible upgrades.
The two new recruits will be Maresca’s favoured options up front this season, which has left Jackson on the outside looking in. Given that he is held in high esteem around Europe, both parties have agreed that it would be better to part ways.
Jackson hands in transfer request
It has been known for weeks that Chelsea are open to selling Jackson at the right price, and now the player himself has seen the writing on the wall and officially requested to leave the club.
According to the Daily Mail and since confirmed by Sky Sports, Jackson has told Chelsea that he wants to explore his options before the window slams shut.
It is claimed that Chelsea are already in talks with ‘multiple’ clubs regarding a deal for the 24-year-old, with the player training individually at Cobham for the time being. Newcastle are admirers of Jackson, as confirmed by market insider Duncan Castles on The Transfers Podcast.
However, as things stand, Chelsea are expected to demand a pretty penny for the striker. The Blues are using the €82 million Man Utd have paid for Bryan Mbeumo and the €95m Liverpool shelled out on Hugo Ekitike as benchmarks for their valuation.
“I think that could turn out to be quite an expensive deal because Chelsea had been briefing that they value him at the same level as proven Premier League goal-scorers who moved already this summer, citing people like Bryan Mbeumo,” Castles said on the latest episode of The Transfers Podcast.
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