Adrian Clarke looks at summer signings and what impact they will have at their new clubs.
Player analysis: Nicolas Jackson (CHE)
Chelsea lacked incisive speed in forward areas last season, so the arrival of striker Jackson provides them with a welcome new option.
Jackson has electric pace, which he put to good use during a breakthrough campaign for Villarreal last season, scoring 12 league goals in 16 starts and 10 substitute appearances.
Ten of those LaLiga strikes came in his final 11 appearances.
Netting with 40 per cent of his shots during that blistering period, Jackson was averaging a goal every 80 minutes.
Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping he continues that spectacular momentum at Chelsea and shows positive early signs against Premier League opposition during the Summer Series, which starts on Saturday 22 July.
See: Premier League Summer Series heading to USA
Chelsea’s counter-attacking potential will increase when Jackson is on the pitch.
Six of his goals last season stemmed from situations where he ran in beyond the last defender, so opponents must try to limit the space he has to sprint into.
From transitions and counters, Jackson can be deadly.
This is a boost for Pochettino as the Blues were disappointing in those situations last season, scoring only once from a fast break.
PL teams fewest fast break goals 22/23
| Fewest fast breaks | Fewest goals from fast breaks | ||
| Bournemouth | 12 | Chelsea | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds | 14 | Bournemouth | 1 |
| Brighton | 16 | West Ham | 1 |
| Chelsea | 17 | Leeds | 2 |
A relative rookie at the top level, Jackson may initially have to settle in as an impact substitute at Chelsea.
When matches become open and stretched in the second half, the striker will be a tremendous game-changing option from the bench.
Pace poses a threat
Jackson uses his pace to surge in behind defenders, but his dribbling speed is also impressive.
He will drift towards either side of the penalty box, where he tends to be positive in the way he approaches 1v1s.
The Senegal international prefers to shift the ball on to his stronger right foot, but he has also produced assists by going on the outside of a right-back before cutting crosses back from the byline with his left.
Jackson’s productivity from ball carries was sensational in LaLiga last season.
No one scored more goals from their own dribbles than Jackson, and Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. was the only player to deliver more direct goal involvements from carries.
LaLiga goals/assists from carries 22/23
| Player | Goals | Assists | Total |
| Vinicius Jr. | 6 | 6 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Jackson | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Antoine Griezmann | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Gabri Veiga | 5 | 2 | 7 |
Averaging an impressive 13.6 metres per carry, Jackson produced his 10 goal contributions from a carry in 1,231 fewer minutes on the pitch than Vinicius Jr.
He is an exciting forward who loves to put defenders on the back foot.
Chelsea have shown enormous faith in the potential of a player who has had only one season at the top level in Spain.
Technically and tactically he is still a little raw, but there is a fearlessness about his style that has caught the eye.
When you look at Jackson's non-penalty expected goals (xG) record with Villarreal last season, it compares favourably with many of Spanish football’s elite forwards.
He scored 0.45 goals per 90 minutes, excluding penalties, which was an impressive return.
Non-penalty xG in LaLiga 22/23
| Player | xG/90 |
| Robert Lewandowski | 0.74 |
|---|---|
| Karim Benzema | 0.67 |
| Alvaro Morata | 0.56 |
| Rodrygo | 0.48 |
| Alexander Sorloth | 0.48 |
| Nicolas Jackson | 0.45 |
Chelsea struggled to score goals in 2022/23, registering only 38 in as many matches.
While there is an element of unproven risk about Jackson, his talent suggests he has the capacity to provide the Blues with a greater cutting edge.
