Common Sense Should Prevail on Nicolas Jackson Chelsea Saga | OneFootball

Nicolas Jackson is a name that instantly provokes strong reactions from Chelsea fans. Other than Alejandro Garnacho since his arrival from Manchester United, few current players divide opinion as much as the Senegalese forward.

To some, he is an abject failure of a striker who has cost the club more than they have gained from his appearances. His recklessness, which directly contributed to red cards against Newcastle and Flamengo, drew plenty of ire. A number of poor misses in front of goal have filled social media compilations.

To others, he is wildly under-appreciated. A player who, for all his flaws, has provided a commendable return given the low expectations he arrived with in the summer of 2023. Some would even argue that the current Chelsea squad is weaker for his absence while on loan at Bayern Munich.

Tale of the tape

The extremes of the negative perspective on Jackson have always felt overboard when simply looking at his output. For a very raw talent, bought off the back of a purple patch in La Liga, a tally of 17 goals in all competitions (14 in the Premier League) represented a respectable return amid a campaign plagued with inconsistency under Mauricio Pochettino.

Up until Christmas of the following season, Jackson appeared to be building on that foundation, reaching 10 league goals under Enzo Maresca. However, poor finishing, injury setbacks and ill discipline curtailed what could have been a superior sequel.

Instead, the 2024/25 season ended with doubts lingering. Despite hitting double figures again, the desire for a more reliable finisher remained a key demand heading into the summer’s transfer window.

The farce of his exit, non-exit, return and non-return in a chaotic 24 hours at the end of the 2025 summer window reflected poorly on everyone involved. The saving grace for Chelsea is that João Pedro has quickly eased fears that Jackson’s temporary departure would leave the attack exposed.

Purgatory in Munich

For the player, the loan move never made much sense given Harry Kane’s guaranteed first-choice status. Despite Jackson likely securing himself at least a Bundesliga winner’s medal by the spring, what has he truly gained to advance his position compared to staying at Chelsea?

Given Liam Delap’s struggles and Marc Guiu’s limited minutes, it is difficult to believe that, had Jackson remained, he would not have been a serious contender for regular first-team football.

Reports emerging from Germany since the autumn have regularly suggested this gap year abroad was never likely to develop into a permanent arrangement. The common-sense solution for both Jackson and Chelsea would be to find a compromise.

From the start of this coming summer, Chelsea could boast two forwards who have each delivered at least 10 league goals for the club — a privilege they have not enjoyed for some time.

Reconciliation is still possible

Concerns over Liam Delap may remain, and the integration of Emmanuel Emegha is still uncertain following his recent injury setback at Strasbourg.

For all you may dislike Jackson, his worst season at Chelsea falls far short of the failure narrative that seems to follow him. Perhaps common sense can yet prevail and deliver a trilogy of Jackson seasons.

You can follow my coverage of Chelsea on YouTube at SonOfChelsea. More written coverage of the club on Substack. Follow me on X for more thoughts, along with listening to the podcast.