Maresca refuses to rule out Jackson leaving Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has refused to rule out the possibility of Nicolas Jackson leaving Stamford Bridge during the summer transfer window.

Newcastle are reportedly interested in the 24-year-old forward, after Manchester United hijacked the Magpies’ bid to sign striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

If they are to sell, Chelsea would be targeting a transfer fee of at least double the £32m they paid Villarreal for Jackson in 2023.

When asked whether Jackson could leave Chelsea this summer, Maresca said: “When the transfer window is open, unfortunately or fortunately, anything can happen. This also involves Nico’s situation.

“At the moment we also had two strikers arrive, Joao [Pedro] and Liam [Delap]. So we will see what happens.”

Joao Pedro joined from Brighton during the Club World Cup for an initial £55m and scored three goals in three games, including a strike during the 3-0 win against Paris St-Germain in the final, while Delap joined in a £30m move from Ipswich and also featured in the United States.

Jackson’s Club World Cup campaign was affected by his dismissal in the group match win over Flamengo, but Chelsea’s valuation of over £65m is benchmarked against the Senegal international’s 10 goals and five assists in 30 league games last season, following 14 goals and five assists in 35 games during his maiden season at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca revealed England defender Levi Colwill, who started 35 of Chelsea’s 38 Premier League games last season, picked up an injury in training at the start of the week.

“It was in the first session on Monday, just in the last minutes of the session. He felt something and, as I said, we need to wait and then we see,” he added.

“We don’t know how long he is going to be out.

“I spoke with him yesterday and I told him that if we achieve what we achieved last year, it is also because of him – and he was a main player for us.”