Everton are reportedly battling with Premier League rivals over a deal to sign Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, as per Caught Offside.
After being impressed by the 24-year-old’s performances for Villarreal, the Blues decided to purchase him a couple of years ago. He made more than 15 goal contributions in both seasons at Stamford Bridge and even helped them qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top four in the Premier League last term.
Moreover, the Senegalese international guided the West London club to win the Conference League. However, Chelsea weren’t completely satisfied with his performances, so they decided to revamp the frontline by purchasing Joao Pedro and Liam Delap last summer.
Enzo Maresca’s side tried to offload Jackson permanently, but Bayern Munich ultimately signed him on a loan deal in the last window. However, he has found it difficult to break into Vincent Kompany’s starting line-up thus far.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Bayern Munich are unlikely to sign him permanently by triggering his £57m buy option, so he is likely to return to Stamford Bridge next year.
Chelsea won’t keep him and will look for new buyers. Everton are interested in Jackson and are ‘closely monitoring’ his situation before making a potential swoop.
However, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Napoli, and Atletico Madrid are also in this race. So, the forward isn’t short of potential suitors despite his recent struggles.
Jackson to Everton
Everton decided to reinforce the frontline by purchasing Thierno Barry from Villarreal last summer. However, he has found it difficult to showcase his best in the Premier League thus far, while Beto has also struggled this season. So, perhaps, David Moyes is looking to reinforce the No.9 position next year.
Jackson is quick, strong, efficient in hold-up play, good in the air, and also works hard without possession. However, he lacks composure in front of the goal.
Nevertheless, he is still just 24 and has plenty of time to become a clinical finisher. So, he might be a shrewd acquisition for Everton should they manage to secure his service for a reasonable fee.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Merseyside club eventually make a concrete approach to lure him to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
