The size of the task inherited by Xabi Alonso this summer is monumental. Aside from the pressure of being Chelsea manager, Alonso has an army of players he has to sort out.
Already a bloated squad primed for European competition, Chelsea will enter the 2026-27 campaign no longer in Europe. A tenth-placed finish in the Premier League means Chelsea failed to win qualification.
Nicolas Jackson or Liam Delap, which one are you keeping? Tell us who and why!
That means the depth currently in the Chelsea side is not required going into the new campaign. On top of that, a whole host of players will return from loan spells, while five new signings will also arrive.
Emmanuel Emegha, Geovany Quenda and possibly Valentin Barco will arrive and Alonso has a squad that could exceed 40 players this summer. Decisions are required, and one will be made on Nicolas Jackson.
Alex Crook says Nicolas Jackson has no future at Chelsea
In the summer of 2023, Chelsea paid Villarreal a fee of £32m to sign Jackson. The next two years saw the Senegal striker become the source of much criticism, even if he had a hand in 42 goals in 81 appearances.
Indeed, Jackson scored 30 goals. All the more impressive given Jackson came on as a sub in 11 of those 81 games. He has since spent the last 12 months on loan at Bayern Munich, who had a £56m clause.
Bayern were never going to make his loan permanent despite his impressive stint providing cover for Harry Kane. Now, Jackson is due to return to Chelsea, and Alonso must decide what to do with him.
Some have called for Jackson to be reintegrated into Chelsea’s side but this weekend, Alex Crook told TalkSPORT that Jackson has no future at Chelsea. He claims Chelsea will look to cash in this summer.
“It is easy to assume that it was Enzo Maresca that didn’t fancy Nicolas Jackson, and it wasn’t guidance from above. I don’t think Nicolas Jackson has got any real future at Chelsea. I think they’ll try to sell him.
“The buy option was always overpriced; Bayern never really planned on triggering it. If Chelsea want to get back into the Champions League and push for the title under Alonso, Jackson is not the answer.”
Paul Merson thinks selling Nicolas Jackson would be a mistake
There is a train of thought that Joao Pedro has impacted Cole Palmer’s form this season. Palmer starred with Jackson up top, and a large part of Palmer’s success was because Jackson afforded him that space.
Are you taking Nicolas Jackson back at Chelsea in the summer? Is he better than what we’ve got?
It allowed Palmer to thrive, whether that be driving into the space Jackson had given him, or finding the striker with a forward pass. Paul Merson believes Chelsea and Palmer have missed a striker like Jackson.
“I like Palmer, but Palmer misses Jackson. Jackson made Palmer, and Palmer made Jackson. And people used to slaughter Jackson and say, ‘Oh, he’s no good. He misses chances,” Merson explained recently.
Alonso has a decision to make. Chelsea have made Pedro ‘untouchable’ and that in itself shows Jackson will only have a bit-part role in West London should he be reintegrated. A sale seems likely at this stage.
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