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Chelsea signed Senegalese international Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal this summer for a fee of €35 million. The 22- years old had an excellent season for La Liga side Villarreal scoring 12 times in 26 La Liga outings.
Nicolas Jackson has already shown he is capable of leading the line for Chelsea in the Premier League next season during their preseason friendlies in the United States. The 22-year-old has already scored twice for Chelsea against Brighton and Newcastle.
So far, His performance in the preseason has excited Chelsea fans, especially with his movement on and off the ball and his link-up and hold-up play with other attackers. Blues fans are beginning to believe that this is the clinical striker they have been missing for a very long time. Chelsea’s inability to finish their chances last season was one of the reasons for their terrible campaign in the Premier League last season.
Despite Jackson showing a glimpse of his ability in the preseason, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino warns that the 22-year-old must peak physically to adapt to the Premier League tempo.
What did Mauricio Pochettino say Nicolas Jackson needs to improve?
Speaking at a Post-Match press conference, he said: “He is showing his quality, his talent.
“I think he is good in front of the goal; he is very relaxed when given chances, and he has shown that in these games. So happy because a striker needs to score for confidence and trust.
“La Liga is also competitive, but he also needs to adapt to the Premier League. The tempo is higher than in La Liga, and transitions are connected with the game. They are things that make the Premier League one of the best but one of the most competitive and excellent in terms of physicality and conditioning.
“Still, he needs to improve in his physical condition, it is only the beginning of preseason, and he arrived late; he didn’t start with us in the beginning.
“Then, of course, we are here on the tour, we are so happy to be here and sharing with our fans, but at the same time, it is tough, and we need to manage the situation.
“This is why we administrate in different ways the player. The plan was to maybe play a little bit more but after 45 minutes we decided to substitute him because he played 45 minutes and he had good feelings.”
Nicolas Jackson partnered with Christopher Nkunku in the first half against Newcastle United, but Fans will be waiting to see how their new attacking duo will click in the coming season.
He added: “It was good to see. In the first half, they played well. They found themselves, they created chances, they threatened the defensive line of Newcastle.
“It’s only time to build the relationship, but there is a possibility to play in the future with these two players. At the moment the dynamic [in the whole squad] is very good, really good guys and they are sharing the time together.”
