Inside Europe: 'Ready for the next step' - Can Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson help Chelsea forget Diego Costa?

Eurosport Spain expert Enrique Sanchez believes Nicolas Jackson has the chance to be a success at Chelsea, saying he is “ready to take the next step.” Chelsea are expected to spend to recruit at least one striker this summer for new manager Mauricio Pochettino, who will likely do without Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, amongst others, next season. Ad Raheem Sterling was occasionally used through the middle, but Chelsea struggled for goals under each of their three managers — Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard — last season, despite spending heavily under new American owner Todd Boehly.

TransfersMan Utd prepare £45m bid for Pickford as De Gea contract stalls — Paper RoundYESTERDAY AT 05:08 Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar is just one of the strikers who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but for now at least, the likeliest arrival seems Villarreal’s 21-year-old Senegalese international Jackson, who will reportedly cost around €35m. The striker hit 12 goals in 26 La Liga appearances last season, but Sanchez cautioned that while he can play both through the middle and from the wings, he prefers to operate as a player who cuts in from the flank, so Chelsea may still need a more traditional centre forward, a position they have arguably failed to nail down since the departure of Diego Costa in 2017.

Sanchez began: “Jackson is a centre forward with a lot of speed, so he could also play as a winger if needed, because he usually starts a lot of his play from the wings, moving to the centre.” Asked about Jackson's standout physical attributes, Sanchez added: “Speed, of course. He attacks spaces really well and also makes very good use of the ball despite his height.