Chelsea make Nicolas Jackson decision as major transfer change expected
Chelsea are back in action tonight as they kick off their Carabao Cup campaign. Enzo Maresca’s men face League Two leaders Barrow at Stamford Bridge in the third round of the competition as they look to avoid an upset.
The Blues will go into the game full of confidence, having come out as 3-0 winners against West Ham in their last outing. A brace from Nicolas Jackson and a goal from Cole Palmer gave them a comfortable victory and means that they are unbeaten in the league since the opening day against Chelsea.
It’s been another summer of change for the club over the summer, with comings and goings in the transfer market. It’s perhaps no surprise then that there is still talk over what could happen when the window re-opens in January.
With that in mind, football.london have taken a look at a couple of the stories doing the rounds. We’ve also given our own thoughts on the situation.
Four-man striker list
Chelsea’s plans to bring in striking reinforcements in upcoming windows have not changed, despite Nicolas Jackson’s recent form. The striker has scored four times in five Premier League games so far this season, but reports claim that Chelsea still have a four-man shortlist to add to their striking options.
CaughtOffside claim that Victor Osimhen remains on the Blues radar, but they also have an eye on Sporting’s Victor Gyokeres, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Red Bull Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. It is added that Chelsea remain in contact with Osimhen’s agent after failing to complete a deal late in the summer window. The striker instead joined Galatasaray on loan.
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FL says : Jackson’s form and performances so far this season means that Chelsea are no longer in desperate need for a striker; there could however be a problem if the 23-year-old picked up an injury. If that was to happen, it would leave Marc Guiu as the only senior option up front.
It would therefore be sensible to look at potential options in January, but there shouldn’t be a panic over getting somebody in. Given how Jackson has performed under Enzo Maresca, it gives the club more time to assess their options and get the right deal.
The only problem in bringing in a big name forward such as the ones mentioned is that they would expect to be starting week-in-week-out. Maresca’s formation means that just one striker is needed, meaning difficult selection decisions will have to be made.
Transfer window change
The Premier League have reportedly approved plans for next summer’s transfer window to shut before the start of the 2025/26 season. TalkSPORT report that executives from the European Club Association (ECA), which represents clubs from England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France, are ‘committed’ to the window closing before the new season in all of the leagues.
It therefore means that the 2025 summer transfer window could close before the Premier League is due to kick-off on Saturday, August 16. Plans are said to be in place for the window to close on Friday, August 15, with the Premier League looking to convince the rest of Europe to follow.
Chris Woerts, who is a prominent figure in the ECA said: “The clubs are working hard to get the decision made on this within the entire ECA. Next year the transfer window must close on August 15, before the leagues kick off.
"Everyone is getting frustrated and annoyed by the fact that players are still being sold for weeks while the competitions have started.
“One major club in Spain caused a problem so it couldn’t happen this year. That was FC Barcelona. Because of all their financial problems they were not able to make moves on the transfer market until a very late stage. So they broke the pact of the ‘Big Five’.”
FL says: It makes sense for the window to close before the start of the season, but it should only go ahead if the rest of Europe follows suit. Having the distraction of a potential move away from a club after the season has started is far from ideal for the players and the managers trying to manage through the early games while a potential transfer saga is going on.
It would make it easier all around if the window closed before a ball was kicked. However, if other European leagues are not in line, then it would only cause the same problems for English clubs, with overseas sides potentially making moves for players with clubs then unable to bring in replacements.