Chelsea are now open to Nicolas Jackson leaving on loan this week if their preference of a permanent sale is not forthcoming – but under one condition.
The agreement must include an obligation to buy for next summer, with Confidential told the Blues see little point in purely loaning out their 24-year-old striker for the 2025-26 season without any promise of a clean separation.
Jackson’s departure has dragged on into the final week of the window, as Chelsea wanted to wait for Alexander Isak’s messy situation at Newcastle United to unravel before committing to moving on their own No 9 once and for all.
Isak staying or leaving Newcastle has been central to a striker merry-go-round this summer. It was on July 24 when Daily Mail Sport broke that Isak wanted to explore an exit. We then revealed on August 8 how Jackson was set to be excluded from Chelsea’s squad for their pre-season friendly with Bayer Leverkusen after telling his club that he too was interested in his own transfer.
Since then, multiple suitors have enquired with Chelsea, including Newcastle, whose impasse with Isak is ongoing. Selling the Swede would force further dominoes to fall while also leaving the Magpies with a huge hole to fill and significant funds to do so.
Bayern Munich have been bigged up as the frontrunners for Jackson and the German side are indeed interested in adding him to an attack already featuring Harry Kane, having held talks over a loan deal in the last few days. But sources have told Confidential that several others remain in the race.
Chelsea are now open to Nicolas Jackson leaving on loan – as long as there is an obligation to buy included in the deal
Jackson looks set to leave Chelsea this summer after the Blues signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro for a combined £90million
That includes Napoli, Aston Villa and Newcastle, who have seen two bids worth £50m and £55m knocked back for Jorgen Strand Larsen of Wolves in the last week. We previously reported how Strand Larsen was higher on the Magpies’ striker shortlist than Jackson and a third bid is possible.
Chelsea have long believed he is worth more than the £74.1m that Manchester United spent on Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig and also the £79m that Liverpool paid Eintracht Frankfurt for Hugo Ekitike, and his goal numbers stack up to that assessment.
Senegal striker Jackson has 30 goals in 81 games in all competitions since joining the Blues two years ago, whereas Sesko scored 39 in 87 for Leipzig in that time and Ekitike 26 in 64 for Frankfurt.
It is not unusual for clubs to factor existent fees into their own valuations but, of course, it all depends on what others are willing to offer.
The major hurdle to Jackson’s exit
One issue with Jackson being loaned abroad is that he would take up Chelsea’s last available international loan slot, blocking others from finding new temporary homes in Europe and beyond.
FIFA only allow a team to loan six players abroad at any one time, and Chelsea have already sent out Kendry Paez, Mike Penders, Mamadou Sarr (all to sister club Strasbourg in France), Deivid Washington (to Santos in Brazil) and Aaron Anselmino (to German side Borussia Dortmund).
Chelsea also want to move on Christopher Nkunku, Tyrique George, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Alfie Gilchrist and David Datro Fofana before deadline day, so they may need to keep that final slot free.
In January, Chelsea recalled Caleb Wiley from Strasbourg in order to open up a slot, which allowed Joao Felix to join AC Milan for the second half of last season.
Confidential this week checked in with a contact at Santos. He said they had not heard any news on Chelsea considering a recall for Washington, who is contracted to the Brazilian side until December 31, 2025 and with them holding an option to buy.
It was also noted that while the 20-year-old forward has not been at his best in Brazil, with just one goal in 18 matches, they now have a new manager in Juan Pablo Vojvoda who may get more out of him.
Kendry Paez is one of five Chelsea players out on loan abroad, limiting how many more players they can get out of the door this summer
Chelsea’s new signing – a 39-year-old with history at the Bridge
On November 30, 2019, I was at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea versus West Ham. In goal for the visitors was David Martin, with the journeyman son of Hammers legend Alvin Martin appearing in the Premier League for the first time at the age of 33.
Alvin watched the match from the press box with us and after his son kept a brilliant clean sheet in West Ham’s surprise 1-0 win, a teary David climbed into the journalists’ area to give his old man a big hug.
And I was taken back to that touching day this week when told that David has now been hired by Chelsea, to work as their Under 16s to Under 21s goalkeeper manager.
David Martin (25) hugs his dad Alvin after winning 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on his Premier League debut in 2019
Will Chelsea get to defend their title at the 2029 Club World Cup?
FIFA are currently reviewing how to improve the Club World Cup for 2029 after the 2025 edition, including whether Chelsea deserve an invitation to defend their title as champions.
As it stands, the Blues would not be guaranteed a place at the tournament in four years’ time, but sources at football’s world governing body have confirmed they are reviewing qualification plans.
FIFA are known to be interested in expanding the competition for 2029 beyond 32 clubs.
For the 2025 edition, Europe was allowed 12 qualifiers – the four most recent Champions League winners, plus the remaining highest-ranked teams in UEFA’s club rankings over the previous four years.
That meant Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City as European champions (Madrid having won it in 2022 and 2024), followed by Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus and Red Bull Salzburg.
Chelsea were the inaugural winners of the 32-team Club World Cup – and FIFA are keen on making it an even bigger tournament in four years’ time
Calma on Palmer
There is no concrete update on whether Cole Palmer will be available for Saturday lunchtime’s Premier League visit of Fulham with his groin issue being treated with caution, hence why he has not yet been seen working outdoors with everyone else.
Of course, we hear rumours from our daily dealings with Chelsea, but rather than add to the social media speculation, it is much more sensible to wait for official word from Enzo Maresca this Friday on Palmer’s fitness status.
Palmer limped out of the warm-up at the London Stadium last week before pulling out of the starting lineup for Chelsea’s 5-1 thrashing of West Ham.
Thomas Tuchel will also name his next England squad on Friday, for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia next month.
Cole Palmer limped out of the warm-up ahead of Chelsea’s win at West Ham
Conor cash would be a bonus
Should Atletico Madrid sell Conor Gallagher – and there has been Premier League interest shown in him over the last week from Crystal Palace – then Chelsea would see some cash coming their way.
Sources say the Stamford Bridge side negotiated a sell-on clause with Atletico when they sold him for £36.4m last summer, but those close to Gallagher are not disclosing the precise percentage.
From Rio to Ryan, the Cobham pipeline is producing
Rather than dwell on losing Rio Ngumoha to Liverpool after the 16-year-old’s winner at Newcastle, Chelsea would rather celebrate the rising stars they still have at Cobham.
That includes another 16-year-old named Ryan Kavuma-McQueen who was highly impressive in the Under 21s’ season-opening 3-1 victory over Manchester City last Monday and then scored a lovely solo goal in their subsequent 5-0 win at Newcastle on the Friday.
Chelsea’s academy is following the first-team strategy in that they do not mind their average age being much younger than everyone else’s, so long as those selected are good enough.
The average age of the Chelsea Under 21s team that opened their season was younger than 18 years old, for example. The conveyor belt is still as strong as ever.
Rio Ngumoha is turning into the one that got away for Chelsea, having joined their academy at the age of eight before joining Liverpool last summer
But there is still a huge production line coming out of Cobham, headlined by Ryan Kavuma-McQueen
Lopez, Simons and signings
Chelsea sources say they hold genuine interest in Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez, 22, but that does not mean they have dropped their desire to sign RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, also 22.
Simons’ camp are still waiting with the Blues working on selling before buying.
A stranger transfer story you will struggle to find
Brighton are staying schtum on the bizarre situation surrounding Julio Enciso, who agreed to join the BlueCo group, but has been left in limbo amid reports that he failed a medical.
The Seagulls, and BlueCo are unable to comment on medical circumstances.
It was never confirmed whether Enciso would be signing for Strasbourg or Chelsea with nobody wishing to shed light on the strange setup.
Julio Enciso was on his way to join Strasbourg – or Chelsea – but now has been left in limbo
Man U deja vu
To finish, I’m going to copy and paste an item from last week’s Confidential.
Cheeky, but then nothing has changed in the time since we last reported: ‘Alejandro Garnacho wants Chelsea. Chelsea want Garnacho. Manchester United want £50m. Chelsea want a lower price. Hence the standoff.’
United have told Chelsea that their valuation is largely based on Noni Madueke going to Arsenal for £48.5m (rising to £52m if add-ons are triggered) and Anthony Elanga to Newcastle for £52m, rising to £55m.
By United’s reckoning, Garnacho’s statistics are as good as theirs, if not better in some categories.
