'He could go on a run at Villa' - Arsenal legend Ian Wright backs £65m signing Nicolas Jackson to make Chelsea regret summer sale
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has questioned Chelsea's decision to offload Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson following his prolific start to life at Premier League rivals Aston Villa. The 25-year-old marksman has already struck seven times in 11 outings since completing a £65 million permanent move to the Midlands in the summer.
Senegalese striker thrives under Emery
Jackson has quickly rediscovered his clinical edge at Villa Park after reuniting with his former Villarreal manager Unai Emery ahead of the current campaign. Having scored across three consecutive outings earlier this term, the forward netted a decisive double in last weekend's victory over Premier League leaders Manchester City. That blistering form has immediately raised questions over why Stamford Bridge chiefs sanctioned his departure to a direct domestic rival.
Pundits praise resurgent Midlands forward
Although the Senegal international was occasionally criticised for wasteful finishing during his time in west London, his all-round movement and physical presence consistently troubled top-flight defences. Now that he is finding the net regularly in the Midlands, his improved composure in the penalty box has caught the eye of several prominent observers.
Assessing the 25-year-old's resurgence on The Overlap, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said: "Is Nicolas Jackson the most improved player in the Premier League? I always thought he would be a good signing for someone because he's a handful, I would hate to play against him. I do like him."
Agreeing with Neville's assessment on the same programme, former Arsenal and England striker Wright added: "I'm delighted for him.
"When you watched him at Chelsea, yes he missed chances but everything else about his game... the way he makes runs, plays on the shoulder, his touch... you knew that if he could just start nicking some goals, he would be fine.
"You're looking at him now after scoring a few goals and you can actually see the confidence in him. He could go on a run at Villa, it's up to him now where he goes."
Bayern loan preceded Villa switch
Chelsea originally recruited Jackson from Villarreal in 2023 and were encouraged by a debut campaign at Stamford Bridge that yielded 17 goals across all competitions. However, his output dipped during the 2024-25 season, prompting the Blues to send him out on loan to Bayern Munich last term.
The German champions paid a £14m loan fee and agreed to a £56m permanent obligation to buy if the striker reached specific performance thresholds, including a set number of appearances. Operating primarily as an understudy to England captain and newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane prevented Jackson from meeting those conditions, resulting in his return to west London this summer. With Joao Pedro's presence at Stamford Bridge complicating his path back into the starting line-up, Chelsea ultimately approved his £65m sale to Villa.
Attacking injury leaves Blues short
Jackson's purple patch in the Midlands comes at an awkward time for Chelsea after first-choice forward Pedro was sidelined by injury following a bright start that yielded five goals in his opening six outings. Having already missed two matches including Wednesday's Carabao Cup last-16 loss to Liverpool, the Brazilian remains unavailable for Saturday's home clash against struggling United. Meanwhile, Jackson will look to extend his scoring streak for Villa.
