Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues reminded of Nicolas Jackson mistake; Trevoh Chalobah likely to leave, and more - September 23, 2023
Chelsea return to action this weekend in the Premier League when they welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Sunday (September 24). New boss Mauricio Pochettino will hope for a response from his team after a less than impressive start to the new campaign.
Meanwhile, the Blues have been reminded that they made a mistake by signing striker Nicolas Jackson. Elsewhere, defender Trevoh Chalobah is likely to leave the London giants in 2024.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on September 23, 2023:
Chelsea reminded of Nicolas Jackson mistake
Journalist Dean Jones reckons Chelsea made a mistake by signing only Nicolas Jackson for the No. 9 role this summer.
The Senegalese striker was roped in from Villarreal to lead the line this season. The club didn’t sign another frontman despite Romelu Lukaku's departure to AS Roma on loan.
Jones told Give Me Sport that Jackson was never the striking solution for the Blues, as he doesn’t score enough goals.
“I’ve said for a long time that Chelsea have made a mistake by only signing Nicolas Jackson in terms of a striker. I don’t believe that he is enough of a guarantee of goals that Chelsea need for this season.
"And I’ve said it since the day he came through the door. He’s a good signing, but he’s not the answer and everything I’ve seen so far just proves that,” said Jones.
He continued:
“Again, the narrative is still that he’s a good player. He’s good off the ball. He has nice touches, and all of that is true, but he’s not scoring goals. And while he’s getting in good areas, he’s still not converting the chances or the half chances, and that’s a big problem.”
Jackson has struggled to hit the ground running since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
Trevoh Chalobah likely to leave
Trevoh Chalobah is likely to leave Stamford Bridge in January, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The English defender was close to joining Bayern Munich in the summer, but the transfer failed to see light of the day in the end. The 24-year-old even turned down Nottingham Forest in hopes of securing a move to the Allianz Arena.
Chalobah’s future at Chelsea has been up in the air since the end of the transfer window. Pochettino has denied reports that the player is being frozen out of the first team.
However, it does appear that his time at the club might be over. The player is now expected to part ways with the Blues at the turn of the year, and a move to Bundesliga could be back on.
Blues sent Mykhaylo Mudryk advice
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore reckons the Blues should send Mykhaylo Mudryk to Borussia Dortmund on loan to aid in his development. The Ukrainian forward has failed to live up to the hype since arriving at Stamford Bridge in January this year.
Collymore told Caught Offside that the 22-year-old lacks the experience needed to perform at the highest level.
“Let’s not forget, this is a young player who played just 44 games for Shakhtar Donetsk before Chelsea signed him for nearly £90 million. Some players can live up to the hype, others can’t, and so far, Mudryk has massively failed.
"He can still fulfil his potential – he’s only 22 years old - but he has to rack up more games before Chelsea can expect him to be their first-choice left winger. He is simply too inexperienced,” said Collymore.
He continued:
“I think he needs to drop down a tier but go and play for a club where the expectation to win week in and week out is just as high as it is at Chelsea.
"Whether or not they’d have him is another matter, but I think Borussia Dortmund could be the perfect club to get Mudryk firing and on the right track to becoming the player he has the potential to be.”
Mudryk has struggled for game time under Pochettino this season.