Nicolas Jackson could soon be a Chelsea player. The Villarreal forward emerged as a surprise candidate to solve the Blues' striker problems this week and it looks as if Todd Boehly and his team have acted fast.
While many would have expected the Blues to go for long-term target Victor Osimhen, or perhaps even make a cheeky bid for Harry Kane to reunite with Mauricio Pochettino, it is Jackson who could be the strriker signing.
That is because, according to the Athletic, Chelsea have already agreed personal terms with the 21-year-old ahead of a move this summer.
But who is Jackson? He featured 14 times for the Yellow Submarine in the first half of the campaign before suffering an injury – in this time he directly contributed towards four goals and even played a major role in a win over Atletico Madrid. His performances caught the eye of Bournemouth, who almost prised him to the Vitality Stadium in January.
However, after conducting a medical while nursing a knock, concerns were raised over an issue with his hip and hamstring. It's said that Jackson proceed to undergo further tests but, ultimately, the Cherries learned that they couldn't proceed with the transfer.
According to the Express, Bournemouth fended off competition from Southampton, who enjoyed 'extensive' talks with the Senegal international. While there were fears that Jackson would struggle to recover from the setback, the period on the sidelines appeared to inject new life into his performances.
READ MORE: Nicolas Jackson to Chelsea transfer: Personal terms agreed, £30m release clause
Upon his return in the new year, the youngster scored 10 goals in his final 12 games of the La Liga season, winning the player of the month award in May. And it seems as if Jackson caught the eye of Chelsea officials; according to the Evening Standard, the Blues have stepped up their search for a new striker so they've opened talks with the Villarreal star.
The Blues have struggled to truly replace Didier Drogba over the years, with only Diego Costa and Olivier Giroud coming close to filling the Ivorian's shoes. Numerous managers have experimented with the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, though neither has enjoyed much success.
Evening Standard state that Jackson could be available for as little as £30million this summer – which is far less than what Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen are expected to cost. While there may be concerns over the Blues' new target, Unai Emery has already explained what makes the Senegalese star a special talent.
"He is a player who is in the process of growing," said the former Villarreal boss, as quoted by One Football. "There are times when some players have to go elsewhere to grow, but we are betting on him because his contribution is very high.
"He must get experience in front of goal and this is a learning process. We need to establish young players and we want to bet on them. Two years ago [Alex] Baena had the same problem as Jackson."
READ NEXT:
Chelsea have already signed dream Moises Caicedo partner and it's not Enzo Fernandez
Rafael Leao hints at Chelsea transfer regret after agreeing major AC Milan deal
