Following a breakout 2022-23 season with Villarreal in Spain’s La Liga, Senegal national team forward Nicolas Jackson is set to complete a transfer to English Premier League side Chelsea FC. According to The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano and Will Unwin, the 22-year-old former Casa Sports player will join for a fee of €37 million on an eight-year contract with the London club, making him the club’s second major signing in the offseason after Red Bull Leipzig player Christopher Nkunku joined earlier in this month. Sky Sports reports that Jackson passed his medical on Sunday after previously having a transfer to fellow Premier League side Bournemouth cancelled due to a hamstring issue in January.
The transfer continues a rapid rise for the attacker who ended the La Liga season on fire. Jackson scored nine goals over the final eight matches of the campaign for The Yellow Submarine, helping the club from the Valencian Community to fifth place. He accumulated thirteen goals and five assists in all competitions this past season after only making ten appearances during the 2021-22 season.
Due to the excellent form for his club, Jackson is also breaking into the Senegal national team. He was selected by head coach Aliou Cissé for the 2022 FIFA World Cup where he made his senior debut as a substitute in Senegal’s opening match, a 2-0 defeat to Netherlands, and received his first start in a 1-1 draw against Benin in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on June 17. Jackson was born in The Gambia before moving to Senegal at a young age before moving to Ziguinchor in Senegal’s southern Casamance region.
