Report: Chelsea Set Enormous Nicolas Jackson Price Tag

Chelsea are expected to demand a premium price for striker Nicolas Jackson, who has emerged as a target for Newcastle United as they try and cling to Alexander Isak.

Jackson’s future has been thrown into doubt following the summer arrivals of Liam Delap and João Pedro, with Chelsea spending a combined £90 million ($120.8 million) on the pair who threaten to relegate the Senegal international to third choice striker in the squad.

Manchester United were linked with Jackson, but ultimately appeared to show little interest before moving to an agreement with RB Leipzig for Benjamin Šeško. Newcastle now seems to be his most likely destination, but only if a transfer can be agreed.

Chelsea reportedly are open to selling Jackson for a suitable price. What might be surprising is just how highly the Blues are valuing him, almost as much as they paid for Delap and Pedro combined despite the expectations about who will get more starts.

The Daily Mail quotes a price in excess of the £79 million ($106.1 million) that Liverpool agreed for Hugo Ekitiké, also higher than Manchester United’s proposed £73.7 million ($98.9 million) Šeško deal. Chelsea are said to believe that Jackson, as someone proven in the Premier League—as much as 24 goals in two seasons can be considered proven—is worth more than either.

Crucially, there is no clarity over how firmly Chelsea might stick to that. But the overall insinuation is that they won’t be forced into selling cheaply, and only on their own terms.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca didn’t rule out Jackson leaving the club: “When the window is open, anything can happen. This also involves Nicolas’s situation. We will see what happens.”

Chelsea, for having recruited players at an alarming rate since BlueCo took over the club in 2022, have become skilled sellers. They frequently turn profits on players after a relatively short period of time, with Lesley Ugochukwu’s £25 million ($33.4 million) switch to Burnley the latest example. Should Armando Broja follow the midfielder to Turf Moor for £20 million ($26.7 million), the club would surpass £200 million ($266.9 million) in player sales for this transfer window.