Stats show Chelsea attacker could be a great signing for Premier League rivals | OneFootball

Nicolas Jackson continues to be linked with moves away from Chelsea after the signings of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap up front this summer.

Nobody is really sure what to make of it. Even Chelsea fans are torn, with some certain it would be a disaster to sell Jackson and others thinking that getting £50m-odd would be a huge coup. He’s one of the most divisive players we can remember.

So it’s interesting to see what people are making of it all online. The Athletic have just done a really interesting piece on the subject where they look at Jackson’s strengths and weaknesses and try to figure out who would be getting a good deal.

Jackson’s game full of impressive stats

Nicolas Jackson in action against Brentford. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

We called Jackson “raw” when he came to Chelsea, and while he’s developed a lot since then, it’s fair to say there are still plenty of sharp edges.

He excels on the counter – the Athletic’s stats say that he had more counter-attacking involvements via ball carries than anyone else in the league.

Jackson also made a phenomenal number of high speed runs in behind to stretch opposition defences. His total of 60 was 9 more than any other player in the Premier League. That kind of selfless running creates space for his teammates, and he’s always a willing defender from the front.

We all know his finishing leaves something to be desired – but he still scores plenty.

Important teams likely to be ready to take a chance on Jackson

All of those positives make it pretty likely that someone will be willing to take a risk on Jackson, whether that’s Newcastle, Man U or Aston Villa.

The question will be over the price tag that Chelsea are putting on him. They are likely to want major money for a player they still really rate.