It is a good thing Chelsea did not succeed in their bid to sign Victor Osimhen back in this year’s summer transfer window.
Osimhen’s admirers within the club’s fanbase have perhaps raised their eyebrows and said a few choice words on reading that statement, but let The Athletic explain. This is not intended to be a slight aimed at the Nigeria striker but, had he joined Chelsea from Napoli, he would surely now be getting in the way of Nicolas Jackson’s development.
After 17 goals and six assists in 44 appearances in all competitions last season at age 22 — his first at the club following a move from Spain’s Villarreal for just over €35million (£29.1m/$36.5m at current exchange rates) — Jackson earned the right to continue to be the club’s first-choice striker. Had Osimhen, a more experienced, more proven front man, arrived, with talks over a loan stepping up in the final days of the window before breaking down, it is hard to see how that would have been the case.
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Osimhen, 26 next month, is not the kind of player you add to a squad and then put on the bench. He scored a league-leading 26 goals in 32 Serie A appearances to help Napoli win the 2022-23 Italian title, an achievement that elevated his status in world football, certainly to a position above Jackson’s, who does not have a major honour to his name and only made his first La Liga start that same season.
Sure, 2023-24 may not have gone as well, with 15 goals in 25 Serie A games, but Osimhen was still highly regarded. Serial French champions Paris Saint-Germain were another club pursuing him as they parted ways with Kylian Mbappe, before ending their interest due to the total cost of the deal. Eventually, a season-long loan to Turkey’s Galatasaray was formalised late in the window and it is a case of so far so good in Istanbul, with eight goals in his last seven appearances.
It seems inevitable top clubs will compete for his services again in 2025.
But let us imagine what would have happened had Osimhen accepted the pay structure available at Stamford Bridge and come to west London instead. His standing in the game — his 2022-23 exploits for Napoli saw him voted African Footballer of the Year — means he would surely have expected to start regularly in the Premier League. And as new head coach Enzo Maresca has shown, there is only room for one centre-forward in his 4-2-3-1 formation. Just ask Christopher Nkunku.
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This is not to suggest Chelsea were wrong to try to strengthen up front or that they did not value Jackson. He was given a pay rise and a two-year contract extension to 2033 in September, but the club are ambitious and want to start winning trophies again.
The fixture list is more intense this season with games across five competitions at home and abroad (including the Club World Cup next June and July) and they require strength in depth. Before making the big push for Osimhen, Chelsea looked at other strikers, including Samu Aghehowa (formerly Omorodion) of Atletico Madrid and his fellow 20-year-old, Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran. The former joined Porto instead and has 12 goals in 13 games for them. Duran stayed at Villa and is on eight in 18 appearances.
Jackson gave Leicester centre-back Wout Faes a rough ride throughout (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
But as Jackson showed in Saturday’s 2-1 away win against Leicester City, he is relishing being the club’s main man, the undisputed leader of the front line. He put Chelsea ahead in the 15th minute, taking his tally for the season to seven goals (and three assists) in 13 appearances.
It was the manner of his intervention which should be so pleasing on the eye, though. One of the criticisms aimed in his direction since joining Chelsea is that he lacks the physical presence to outmuscle defenders the way much-loved predecessors Didier Drogba and Diego Costa did in their pomp. He relies on skill and pace instead.
Yet the way he fought off Wout Faes, perhaps not the best centre-back in the league but somebody who has played every minute of the last 11 matches for a Belgium side currently sixth in FIFA’s world rankings, in the build-up brought back memories of Drogba belittling Philippe Senderos of Arsenal. The flick to then get away from Caleb Okoli, followed by an outside-of-the-foot finish, was not too bad either.
Nicolas Jackson opens the scoring for Chelsea!
It’s one the Leicester defence won’t want to watch back in a hurry 😖
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/XFCnQ4oEl5
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 23, 2024
Jackson is not the finished article, and there will be occasions where chances are not converted. But his potential is vast. When he is unfavourably compared to Drogba by Chelsea fans, it feels like they measure him up against the Ivory Coast star when he was at his peak, not the one who needed a few seasons in English football to develop into one of the Premier League’s all-time greats. It might come as a surprise for some to read that in Drogba’s first 57 games for Chelsea, he scored 23 goals. Jackson’s total in his first 57 is… 24.
After Jackson missed opportunities in the 1-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat against Manchester City in April, it seemed significant that Drogba provided public backing on X. He wrote: “Keep your head High Up and never stop working hard, it will pay off.”
Jackson is doing that and being rewarded. He has proved he has character too. His response to Chelsea’s pursuit of other players at his position should not be underestimated. Among the statistics after the Leicester victory was the one stating that only Erling Haaland (31) and Ollie Watkins (25) have more non-penalty goals in the Premier League since the start of last season than his 21.
Senegal team-mate and former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly recently claimed Jackson has what it takes to win the Ballon d’Or one day. More importantly, he has earned Maresca’s trust and approval.
“He is doing very well,” Maresca said following the game. “I have said many times, he is working hard, on the ball and off the ball. He is making an effort to understand the way we want to play. We are very happy with the way Nico is playing on the ball but especially in the way he is playing off the ball, the way he is pressing. We are sure he is going to get better game after game.”
You could say missing out on Osimhen was a blessing in disguise.
(Top photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
