Chelsea hero Roberto Di Matteo says there will be a lot of interest in Nicolas Jackson this summer and he wouldn’t be surprised to see the forward end up at Manchester United.
Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal for a fee of £32million in 2023 and has gone on to score 30 goals in 81 appearances in his first two seasons at the club.
But Jackson has faced criticism over a lack of consistency throughout his stay at Stamford Bridge, with the 24-year-old often guilty of wasteful finishing in front of goal.
The arrival of both Liam Delap and Joao Pedro raises further questions over Jackson’s long-term future in west London and there are reports the Blues could be open to selling the attacker should they receive an offer in the region of £80m before the transfer deadline.
A return to La Liga has been mooted as a potential option for Jackson, while Newcastle and Manchester United have both been credited with a strong interest in the Senegal international.
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Chelsea’s asking price, though, is said to be putting the Red Devils off the proposed move and the Old Trafford giants have reportedly whittled their shortlist down to just two names: Ollie Watkins and Benjamin Sesko.
However, ex-Chelsea midfielder Di Matteo, who later steered the club to Champions League glory, could see Jackson playing at the Theatre of Dreams next season.
‘Nicolas Jackson will have a few clubs looking at him. He’s a very good striker. He scores goals and he’s got some experience now in England as well,’ Di Matteo told BetVictor.
‘I think he would have some clubs chasing him and he might want to go somewhere where he’s maybe more wanted than at Chelsea.
‘I could see him joining Manchester United, and there are other clubs that are looking for him. Aston Villa could be one if they lose Morgan Rogers.
‘There are a number of clubs, but he might go back to Spain as well, who knows? Chelsea are in a great position that they are not forced to sell.
‘They have a number of players that are on the market and they can raise some funds from there, so they are in no hurry to sell.
‘They are in a good financial position, so it really depends on what clubs are prepared to pay.’
One player who will certainly not be on the move this summer is Cole Palmer.
Despite enduring a sticky patch in the second half of last season, the Chelsea attacker remains one of the most exciting talents in Premier League football and will no doubt be raring to go ahead of the new campaign.
According to Di Matteo, there are shades of Eden Hazard in Palmer’s game and there is no reason why the England international cannot get his hands on the Ballon d’Or award if he continues on his current trajectory.
‘Everybody has his own style, but Cole Palmer is very difficult to mark and to defend against because he’s such an intelligent player and he always knows where to find the space,’ the Italian said.
‘But I had to compare him to a former Chelsea player, maybe Eden Hazard.
‘Hazard was a similar player that could slide past opponents with a first touch and find the space as well as go past players and score and assist.
‘So I think that would be probably the closest comparison, to make it look so easy. I think Cole Palmer has all the qualities to win a Ballon d’Or in his career.
‘Ultimately, it depends how successful the team will be with him. To win the Ballon d’Or you need to be playing in the Champions League, need to be competing for the Premier League or winning the Premier League and also at international level with England.
‘He’s a player who can change the face of the team because when he’s on fire, the team is on fire as well. As we saw last season or in the period that he couldn’t reach the level that he is used to normally, the team struggled a little bit to find other solutions.
‘But I can’t see why not, why he shouldn’t be up there for the Ballon d’Or.’
Di Matteo believes Enzo Maresca’s squad should be proud of winning the Club World Cup given the high-quality competition they were up against in the United States this summer.
‘The Conference League is a good trophy, but people don’t appreciate it as much as probably the team, the players and the fans, because it’s seen as a minor cup,’ he added.
‘But nevertheless, it’s a good trophy to have. But then the Club World Cup, I think it just confirmed that the team and the club are going in the right direction, the strategy is working and it’s a big trophy.
Even though it was the first edition and people don’t really know what to make of the competition, I was out there, there was a lot of buzz about it.
‘There were really good teams playing in it, some of the best teams in world football and Chelsea won the trophy and they did it impressively.’
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