Forgotten Chelsea star open to Stamford Bridge stay under Xabi Alonso despite being frozen out
Nicolas Jackson has spent the past season on loan with Bayern Munich and he looks set to return to Chelsea after the German giants opted not to sign him on a permanent basis
Xabi Alonso is set to take the reins at Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
Nicolas Jackson is now open to reviving his Chelsea career – but only if he becomes first choice. The Senegalese striker spent the past season on loan with German giants Bayern Munich after falling out of favour with former boss Enzo Maresca.
He scored 11 goals in 34 games but that was not enough for the Bundesliga champions to activate their option to sign him permanently. Jackson was then linked with a host of moves elsewhere.
But it appears that he might now be keen to stay at Stamford Bridge after all. According to The Sun, Jackson is happy to stay at the club under new boss Xabi Alonso but only on the proviso that he is a member of the first team.
His exit originally came about because he was not willing to be an understudy behind Liam Delap. While Jackson would be open to staying, another move is not totally off the cards, with the forward open to both a loan and a permanent switch.
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Jackson, 24, was signed from Spanish side Villarreal in 2023 and went on to score 30 goals in 81 appearances in all competitions. He has seven years remaining on his contract with Chelsea.
The Blues were recently urged by Paul Merson to reintegrate him into the side. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “I thought Chelsea were in a position where they had a manager who was grateful to manage Chelsea.
“They need a manager who the fans are grateful that he’s managing Chelsea and they’ve got that now with Xabi Alonso because he’s a top manager. They need players and they need a clear-out. I would get Nicolas Jackson back, I would rip Jackson back.
“I’ve said it before, Palmer made Jackson and Jackson made Palmer. Palmer’s not on that plane (to the World Cup) because Jackson’s not been there.
“Liam Delap is out of his depth and Joao Pedro wants to come this way (towards the midfield) and it closes everything down, he’s more of a No. 10 really.
“A back-three would suit Chelsea because they’ve got Reece James, Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto who can bomb forward and they’ve got two holding midfielders in Caicedo and Enzo. That will suit Xabi Alonso. They could be a good team but they need some experience.”
New boss Alonso will officially begin his role at Chelsea on July 1, having penned a four-year contract to become Liam Rosenior’s replacement.
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