NIC OF BUNCH ALL SET FOR BLUES CLASH

ENZO MARESCA once claimed that his perfect striker for Chelsea would be a clone of Nicolas Jackson.

- Bobby Vincent

And less than five months after making those comments, the Blues have sanctioned the exit of the 24-year-old forward.

From Chelsea's point of view, there was no rush whatsoever to offload Jackson, despite the signings of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.

A combined figure of around £90million saw the Blues add the attacking duo from Brighton and Ipswich Town, respectively, with Maresca wanting to enter the new season with three striker options.

It’s understood that Chelsea were keen on two out-and-out No.9s - with Jackson and Delap the options at the time - as well as a versatile forward, with Joao Pedro being brought in during the Club World Cup.

Chelsea's transfer business had cast doubt over Jackson's future at Stamford Bridge but the Blues were more than content with their attacking options for 2025/26.