Chelsea take drastic action after Nicolas Jackson red card at Club World Cup

Daily Mirror

4 hours ago

Nicolas Jackson's Chelsea future is in doubt with the Blues open to offers for the forward. The Senegal star is no longer considered untouchable as interest has arrived from Italy.
The news emerges in the aftermath of Jackson being sent off in the Club World Cup in Chelsea's defeat to Flamengo. The 24-year-old was given his marching orders for a reckless challenge just four minutes after coming off the bench.
Juventus are sounding out a move for the former Villarreal star, who scored 13 goals in 33 games for Chelsea. The Italian giants are in need of a new striker and are said to have seen exploratory talks over a move for the forward, per Gianlucadimarzio.
Jackson comes into consideration as Juve wait on Viktor Gyokeres after accepting the Sweden international prefers a move to Arsenal. The Serie A side have been in touch with Gyokeres' representatives.
But Juventus could soon find competition in any developing race for Jackson's signature. Napoli are also noted to be considering a move and have been informed of the situation but retain a preference of adding Darwin Nunez or Udinese's Lorenzo Lucca to their squad.
Jackson's red comes in just his second appearance since being sent off in the Premier League against Newcastle. The Senegal international is to miss the first game of next season
And his position at Chelsea will likely come under increased scrutiny with the west London side having already signed Liam Delap this summer. The ex-Ipswich Town star is set to provide strong competition and could yet lead the Blues' forward line.
And one of Jackson's team-mates has called on him to improve his discipline. Marc Cucurella revealed that Jackson had already apologised to the group but would like to see him not make the same mistake again.
The Spaniard said: "It is a bit of bad luck. He tried to put his foot in to kick the ball but he kicked the player's leg. That's it. We now miss him for the next game. He is a young player with a lot of quality and maybe he needs to improve this."
And Jackson has also apologised to supporters on social media. "I want to say sorry," he said.
"To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down," it read. "Another red card… And honestly, I'm so angry at myself. I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this kind of situation.
"I still don't fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn't intentional. Just a moment in football that went the wrong way."
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