Over the years, Chelsea have been trying to replicate the success of Didier Drogba at the club, signing an array of different strikers who could potentially fill the legend’s boots…Tap Here to Read the Full Story ▶▶
Diego Costa is the closest the Blues have come to this level of success upfront, making 120 appearances for the club, scoring 59 goals and providing 21 assists. During his time, Costa contributed to two Premier League titles and one English League Cup.
But now, Nicolas Jackson is showing signs of being that player for Chelsea, joining last season for a fee of around £32m from Villarreal.
Nicolas Jackson’s record at Chelsea
In his first season at the club, Jackson made 44 appearances, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists, totalling 3,534 minutes played.
The 23-year-old has started in red-hot form again this campaign, making 13 appearances, netting seven goals and providing three assists in 991 minutes so far. He has clearly established himself as a favourite for new manager, Enzo Maresca, contributing to all phases of play, and working hard for the team.
In Drogba’s first 57 games for Chelsea, he scored 23 goals, whilst Jackson, in 57 games, has now netted 24 times, bettering the goal-scoring ratio of the Blues legend in his early career.
However, one thing Jackson does perhaps lack is a real aerial dominance in the box, which would allow Chelsea to put crosses in as another chance creation method.
This is why Chelsea are currently searching for a different profile of striker to compete with the Senegal international.
Chelsea looking to sign another striker
According to reports from TEAMtalk, Chelsea remain interested in Brighton striker, Evan Ferguson. However, Brighton have previously stated they would want in the region of £100m for the forward, so negotiations could prove tricky.
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Ferguson’s ex-manager, Roberto De Zerbi, previously labelled him as a striker with “big potential” back in December 2022 and has lived up to that praise in drips and drabs.
Indeed, in his time playing for the Brighton first team, Ferguson has managed 17 goals in 74 appearances, also providing five assists. So, how does his profile compare with Jackson’s?..Tap Here to Read the Full Story ▶▶
Ferguson vs Jackson comparison
| Ferguson vs Jackson comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats (per 90 mins) | Ferguson | Jackson |
| Goals | 0.32 | 0.66 |
| Assists | 0.00 | 0.28 |
| xG | 0.17 | 0.62 |
| Progressive Carries | 0.83 | 1.98 |
| Progressive Passes | 0.83 | 1.42 |
| Shots Total | 2.70 | 2.62 |
| Key Passes | 0.00 | 1.23 |
| Shot-Creating Actions | 0.00 | 2.74 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 2.50 | 0.57 |
| Stats taken from FBref | ||
Chelsea’s current main man in attack shows in the metrics that he contributes in every phase of play, helping to progress the ball, carrying the play forward and creat chances for his teammates. He’s also a goalscorer himself which always helps as a centre forward.
That all-round approach is clearly something Maresca values highly, and therefore the 23-year-old currently stands strong in the pecking order.
However, the numbers also show Ferguson does offer slightly more shot-volume, and more importantly, the aerial presence and ability to win aerial duels that Chelsea lacks in their current pool of strikers.
This added quality is an important one, as it would equip Chelsea with a new tool for breaking down low blocks, and keep the opposition guessing in regard to their chance creation methods.
If Chelsea did manage to sign Ferguson for a justifiable fee, he could provide Jackson with brilliant competition, both adding different profiles and skillsets to the Chelsea ranks, thus helping the squad prepare for all types of games, including ones where a more physical aerial presence is needed…Tap Here to Read the Full Story ▶▶
