Chelsea: Enzo Maresca confirms Nicolas Jackson can leave as Blues target double transfer | OneFootball

Blues are far from done in the summer transfer window with incomings and outgoings expected before the deadline

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Enzo Maresca has told Nicolas Jackson he is free to leave Chelsea in the next fortnight — and wants a new attacking player as well as another centre-back.

Maresca has made it clear when speaking publicly on more than one occasion this week that he believes the club must sign another centre-back after Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in training and will miss most of the season.

One player it is clear they are willing to sell is Nicolas Jackson, who has interest from Newcastle as well as clubs in Italy after falling down the pecking order following the signings of Joao Pedro and Delap.

Jackson is suspended for the opening game of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday after his red card against Newcastle in the run-in last season carried over to the new campaign.

But Maresca appeared to suggest he would not have been involved anyway, telling reporters on Friday: “He is training with us [the first-team squad], but he is not going to be involved.

“You know the situation already. The window transfer is open. He can leave, and we'll see.”

Free to leave: Nicolas Jackson

AFP via Getty Images

Maresca was then asked whether signing a new centre-back to make up for the loss of Colwill to injury is more important than adding an attacker to the Blues’ squad before the deadline.

“At the moment, we have two right-wingers: Pedro [Neto] and Estevao [Willian]. We have two No9s: Liam [Delap] and Joao [Pedro]. Nico [Jackson] is still with us; you know the situation.

Chelsea continue to hold talks in the background over potential deals to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig and Manchester United’s wide forward Alejandro Garnacho.

“It's different because the one in the middle is in the middle for a reason,” he said. “He is the one that recognises solutions, he is the one most of the time that has to break lines. It's not the same playing in the middle as playing on the left side.

“Then there are players that can do both. Levi, when Tosin [Adarabioyo] was playing in the middle, was on the left. But most of the time Levi was in the middle and then we have Trev [Chalobah] or Cucu [Marc Cucurella], or Reece [James] or Cucu. They have different solutions. But the one in the middle in my way [of playing] is so, so, so important.

“He [Wesley Fofana] can do, he can do. He needs to be fit, first of all, and then he can do it.

High hopes: Wesley Fofana

Action Images via Reuters

“He played 45 minutes in that position and it was the first half against Bournemouth away, if you remember. Probably one of the worst halves since we started. And Benoit [Badiashile] playing in the middle, Conference League final, first half. We were losing 1-0. Then we changed with Levi and we won 4-1. So it's not the same.”

Midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has interest from Napoli and from Borussia Dortmund, where he spent the second half of last term on loan. He is training away from the first-team squad and is likely to leave this summer.

“Yeah, maybe yes,” Maresca of a possible exit for the midfielder. “He is training with the rest — with the ones that are waiting for a solution. He’s probably going to have a chance to leave.”