Chelsea Sets £60 Million Price for Nicolas Jackson Amid Transfer Interest

Chelsea have placed a £60 million price tag on Nicolas Jackson as Tottenham and Aston Villa circle, with the fee emerging as the major stumbling block to any deal.

The 25-year-old returns to Stamford Bridge off the back of a productive loan spell at Bayern Munich, where he scored 11 goals in 34 games last season. Bayern held a €65m (£55.5m) option to buy but walked away, leaving Chelsea with a decision to make on a striker who has just featured at a World Cup and still divides opinion.

Jackson played four times for Senegal at this summer’s tournament before linking back up with Chelsea for pre-season, where Xabi Alonso has been handed the final call on his future. For now, the stance is clear: Chelsea are prepared to sell, but only on their terms.

RMC Sport report that Chelsea and Alonso are open to Jackson’s departure before the window closes, yet the £60m valuation has been labelled the “main obstacle” to an exit. Tottenham, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid have all registered interest, but none have yet matched the London club’s demands.

The uncertainty around Jackson’s future was underlined on Saturday. He was left out of the squad entirely as Alonso’s side beat Real Sociedad 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in their final pre-season friendly, a notable omission on a day when others were given minutes to impress.

Forward Line Changes

Chelsea’s stance is shaped by a reshaped forward line. Danny Welbeck has already arrived from Brighton in a £5m deal, adding experience and depth to the attack and nudging Jackson further down the pecking order.

He is not the only striker whose future lies away from west London.

Liam Delap is also available, with Chelsea ready to listen to offers. Like Jackson, he did not feature in the squad against Real Sociedad, a clear signal that the club are open to a clean break if the right bid arrives.

Interest has come from Serie A. Como, coached by former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas and already home to Trevoh Chalobah after his move earlier this summer, have made an approach to sign Delap. The project is ambitious, the connection obvious.

Delap, though, is understood to prefer staying in the Premier League. Chelsea are holding out for around £40m for the 23-year-old, having paid £30m to bring him in from Ipswich Town last year. That figure, like Jackson’s, will test how much English clubs are truly willing to invest.

Two strikers, two hefty price tags, and one club determined not to be backed into a corner. The market will decide whether Chelsea’s stance looks bold or stubborn by the time this window slams shut.