“There has been plenty of talk and I’ve been injured” - Nicolas Jackson stresses on objective after scoring twice in Chelsea win over West Ham
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has revealed his objective for the current campaign after the 3-0 win over West Ham United on Saturday, September 21, in the Premier League. The Senegalese was on song against the Hammers, scoring a quickfire brace in the first half to continue his golden start under Enzo Maresca.
Jackson joined the Blues in the summer of 2023 from Villarreal with a lot of promise. However, with the entire team failing to impress last season, the 23-year-old struggled for consistency and received endless criticism for his performances.
The Senegalese finished the campaign with 17 goals and six assists from 44 games across competitions. Former manager Mauricio Pochettino was eventually shown the door and the London giants appointed Maresca as his successor.
Chelsea were keen to sign a new No. 9 over the summer and were linked with multiple candidates for the job. The Blues tried to land Victor Osimhen until the final hours of the transfer window but failed to get a deal across the line.
The London giants' plans raised doubts about Jackson's future as well but the player has responded brilliantly so far. The Senegalese has now scored four goals and set up two more from six games this season.
Speaking following another impressive outing on Saturday, Jackson insisted that he is aiming to improve his goalscoring returns this season.
"There has been plenty of talk and I have been injured for two months, I came back fresh and I hope to get more. I am trying to work hard and do more than last year," said Jackson (via BBC).
Interestingly, Jackson (18) has scored more non-penalty goals than Mohamed Salah in the Premier League since the start of last season, as per Squawka.
Will Chelsea return for Victor Osimhen in 2025?
Chelsea are likely to revive their interest in Victor Osimhen in 2025 after narrowly missing out on the player this summer, according to Football Insider. The Nigerian apparently turned down a loan proposal from the Blues but ended up joining Galatasaray on a temporary move.
It is believed that the Nigerian has a broken relationship with Napoli, who are determined to offload him next year. It has also been rumored that the London giants could move for the 25-year-old as early as January.
Osimhen's potential arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2025 could raise doubts regarding Nicolas Jackson's future once again.