The surprise club Nicolas Jackson MUST join amid imminent Chelsea exit

Suraj Radia
Suraj Radia
  • Updated: 11 Jul 2025 11:43 BST
  • 4 min read
Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea
© IMAGO

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Nicolas Jackson has ‘chances’ to leave Chelsea this summer and, with plenty of interest from Premier League sides, there appears to be one surprise standout club suited to his signature.

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Having spent more than €240 million on players already this summer, Chelsea are now focusing their attention on outgoings, with a deal agreed to sell Noni Madueke to Arsenal for €60m.

Current ETV
Player image Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson

F (C)

Chelsea logo

Chelsea

Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson

F (C)

Chelsea

Chelsea

€65.2M

ETV Range

€58.6M - €71.7M

With the arrivals of Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at Stamford Bridge, as well as youngsters Kendry Paez and Estevao, Chelsea are open to the departures of more attackers and Jackson may swiftly follow Madueke out the door in the coming weeks.

Romano claimed that Jackson ‘could be the next one to try a chapter elsewhere’, with Milan having already asked about the 24-year-old, although Chelsea’s asking price could limit interest to Premier League sides, of which many are ‘keen and informed’.

Jackson has established a reputation as a streaky yet talented forward with standout attributes that, if harnessed, could provide a significant return, having netted 24 Premier League goals in 65 games for the Blues.

The Senegalese international may have proven unconvincing as a leading number nine for a club with top level aspirations but Jackson may prove more suited as a depth player to a team with a proven striker, which could lead him to be a shock option for none other than Manchester City.

Jackson could be Guardiola’s IDEAL Haaland backup at Man City

Jackson moving to the Etihad Stadium would certainly raise eyebrows, particularly with Pep Guardiola having an abundance of forwards available to him, particularly after the big money signings of Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki this year.

However, SciSports – who use data-driven analysis to assess the profile of a player – believe Jackson could be most suited to City, in particular due to his playstyle and ability to develop his game at the club.

Nicolas Jackson's best fit according to SciSports.
© IMAGO - Nicolas Jackson's best fit according to SciSports.

While Jackson may be hesitant to playing backup to one of the best strikers in the world in Erling Haaland, City are still keen on finding an out-and-out alternative to the Norwegian since the departure of Julian Alvarez last summer, with Marmoush often featuring out wide after his €75m transfer from Frankfurt in January.

Should Chelsea be open to taking less than Jackson’s Expected Transfer Value (ETV) of €65m, City could secure themselves a specialist striker with Premier League experience for a reasonable price, although much will depend on the Blues’ eventual asking price to seal a deal.

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