Enzo Maresca to blame for £100.5m Chelsea transfer mistake that needs January solution – pundit | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca is at fault for Chelsea not getting the best out of Nicolas Jackson, a pundit has claimed, with Blues fans left frustrated by watching Liam Delap fail as his replacement.

Delap joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town for £30million in June. They also signed Joao Pedro from Brighton for £60m, two moves which saw Jackson fall down the pecking order.

Jackson could not deal with the lack of playing time and went on to reach an agreement with Bayern Munich. The deal was postponed following an injury to Delap, though it was quickly reactivated.

Bayern signed the Senegalese on a season-long loan worth £14.3m, while they have an obligation to buy him for £56.2m next summer if certain conditions are met.

While Jackson has netted three goals in his last five Bundesliga appearances for Bayern, Delap has yet to score his first league goal for Chelsea.

The former England U21 international’s season was affected by a hamstring injury and red card suspension in quick succession, while he is now out for up to eight weeks with a shoulder issue.

In a recent interview (via Metro), former Chelsea and Manchester United full-back Paul Parker questioned Maresca for not being able to get the best out of Jackson.

“I think it’s already clear that Chelsea made a mistake letting go of Nicolas Jackson in the summer,” he said.

“I don’t think Enzo Maresca worked hard enough at managing him, which is why they slipped up and let him go.

“I don’t think he knew what kind of player he had. I’ve always been a fan of Jackson.

“He never stops running and every time he made a mistake, he’d be the first player to try and win that ball back.”

Nicolas Jackson ‘the player Chelsea need’

Parker continued: “People criticised him for running offside a lot, but at least he’s running – that’s what a centre-forward needs to be doing! It’s up to his team-mates to help him.

“They’ve gone and spent money on Liam Delap, and I do like him, but Jackson is the player they need at the moment.”

According to honorary president Uli Hoeness, Bayern are unlikely to sign the 24-year-old permanently. However, if Jackson continues to impress, then it is likely he will join another major European club next summer, as he does not appear to have a future at Stamford Bridge.

Juventus tried to sign him during the last transfer window and they could reignite their interest.

For Chelsea, they have to rectify their mistake in January. We revealed recently that the Blues are bringing forward their move for Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha.

Meanwhile, our sources state Chelsea are readying a bid worth €55-60m for a centre-back Jackson will come up against in Germany.