Chelsea are coming off the again of one among their worst performances of the season, holding 57% possession within the match towards Brighton, taking simply seven photographs, and creating zero huge possibilities within the sport, happening to lose 2-1, being knocked out of the FA Cup.
Enzo Maresca was with out his solely pure senior centre-forward towards the Seagulls, with Nicolas Jackson lacking via harm, which noticed Christopher Nkunku begin the sport up entrance.
Regardless of his immense type in cup competitions this time period, it closely impacted the workforce’s total play each on and off the ball in a detrimental style.
Nkunku did not handle a single on Saturday, solely took one contact within the opposition penalty space and lacked urgent depth from the entrance, making it a lot simpler for Brighton to control Chelsea’s press all through the sport.
This exhibits the worth in having a prime stage centre-forward, very similar to Newcastle at present do in Alexander Isak.
Alexander Isak’s unbelievable season in numbers
To date this season, Isak has been in nearly unstoppable type. Within the course of of constructing 28 appearances in all competitions, the Swede has scored 19 targets and supplied 5 assists.
The 25-year-old is efficient in all phases of play, urgent properly from the entrance with depth, dropping to assist hyperlink play, but in addition being an excellent goal for direct balls ahead together with his 6 foot 4 body.
Newcastle’s talisman has been topic to plenty of curiosity from different Premier League golf equipment, with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea reportedly very within the Sweden worldwide, having enquired about his providers up to now.
However, based on participant valuations from Soccer Observatory, Isak is valued at round €95.8m (£79.8m) by CIES Soccer Observatory and would value a reasonably penny, probably much more than that sum, to convey him to Stamford Bridge in the summertime.
Remarkably, that payment is definitely decrease than one among Chelsea’s present choices, who was signed for simply £32m again in 2023.
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The Chelsea star who’s value greater than Isak
It is secure to say that Todd Boehly’s recruitment in recent times has been moderately hit and miss. For each Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, there’s been a Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Alas, in a sure Nicolas Jackson, they’ve struck gold.
Jackson has made 68 appearances since becoming a member of the Blues, netting 26 targets, offering 11 assists and totalling 5,312 minutes already. Regardless of being inconsistent, the 23-year-old has already proven his total high quality in all phases, urgent properly from the entrance – which has been praised by Maresca himself – and contributing to the workforce’s build-up section, receiving in deeper pockets to assist hyperlink play and carry the workforce ahead.
“He’s serving to us loads in the best way we need to play. He’s doing improbable. Everybody initially, nobody anticipated this from Nico. Objectives, assists, the best way we need to press, he’s at all times aggressive, at all times there, he’s doing improbable.” – Maresca on Jackson.
Effectively, such has been his outstanding rise to stardom over the previous couple of years that based on CIES, he’s at present valued even larger than Isak at a staggering £88m, making him the twenty second highest-value participant on the record.
For reference, one other striker who has been linked with a transfer to Chelsea is the extremely rated Liam Delap from Ipswich. He does not make this prime 100 estimated switch values record by CIES however was being touted at round £50m over the winter.
Jackson vs Isak & Delap in 2024/25 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90 min) | Jackson | Isak | Delap |
Objectives | 0.47 | 0.82 | 0.45 |
Assists | 0.26 | 0.21 | 0.10 |
xG | 0.59 | 0.70 | 0.37 |
xAG | 0.21 | 0.19 | 0.09 |
Progressive Carries | 2.12 | 2.90 | 2.09 |
Progressive Passes | 1.40 | 2.90 | 1.02 |
Pictures Complete | 3.26 | 3.45 | 2.01 |
Objectives/Shot | 0.14 | 0.23 | 0.18 |
Key Passes | 1.30 | 1.75 | 0.97 |
Shot-Creating Actions | 3.21 | 3.65 | 2.40 |
Aerial Duels Gained | 0.67 | 0.90 | 1.79 |
Stats taken from FBref |
When evaluating the three strikers’ underlying numbers, Isak does have a tendency to return out on prime in lots of, displaying his scientific ranges, and skill to contribute within the build-up together with his progressive actions and create for his teammates.
Nonetheless, Isak can also be a lot nearer to his prime, with Jackson and Delap nonetheless having a number of further years of improvement earlier than they hit these ranges.
Peter Crouch and Joe Cole each praised Jackson as an “unbelievable” participant who deserves extra recognition from exterior the Chelsea fan base, after scoring two towards West Ham earlier within the season. While his type has dropped off in entrance of aim since then, he has nonetheless managed to offer some necessary assists, and Maresca clearly values his total work within the workforce extraordinarily extremely, which was but once more confirmed together with his absence towards Brighton.
One other striker to compete with Jackson and add a special ability set remains to be a lot wanted, however the Blues can be hoping the 23-year-old is again for his or her subsequent sport, as Chelsea clearly appear like a significantly better aspect when he’s on the pitch than when he is not.
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