Enzo Maresca has confirmed he wants fresh competition for Nicolas Jackson next season, as Chelsea plot their summer move for a new striker.
The Blues head into the final two games of the Premier League season without the suspended Jackson, following his red card at Newcastle last weekend. Even when the Senegalese has been available, however, Chelsea have been over-reliant on him to lead the line.
Youngster Marc Guiu is the only other recognised No9 in Maresca’s squad and has been injured since the start of February.
Maresca has repeatedly said he does not view Christopher Nkunku as a traditional centre-forward, though the Frenchman is also sidelined in any case and Pedro Neto seems likely to deputise when Manchester United come to Stamford Bridge on Friday night.
It means Jackson has been an automatic selection whenever fit, including on his return from two months out with a hamstring injury at the start of April and throughout the 13-game goal drought that ran either side of that absence.
Asked whether the lack of serious competition had harmed the 23-year-old’s development, Maresca said: “I'm not able to answer now because I don't know the other part, if a No 9 was here. For sure, with us, in my personal opinion, he has grown and improved a lot. Now if another No9 was here is it better for him? I don't know.”
However, when asked whether he wanted someone to provide competition going forward, he said: “100 per cent”.
Chelsea’s desire to bring in a centre-forward has been known for some time and in recent weeks they have been linked with Ipswich’s Liam Delap - who has a £30million release clause - as well as Viktor Gyorkeres of Sporting and Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig.
The Blues tried to sign a striker last summer, but failed to agree terms with their No1 target, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, while Brentford’s Ivan Toney - another player the club were interested in - moved to Saudi Arabia.
Maresca insists, however, that their current shortage is not purely down to poor planning.
“It's also been bad luck because, the West Ham game [in February] if you remember, unfortunately Marc Guiu is still out from then and Nico was out for more than two months, [injured] in the same game,” he said. “This is a little bit of bad luck.”
