Chelsea seals deal for Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal

Chelsea has confirmed the signing of Nicolas Jackson, the promising Senegal international from Spanish side Villarreal.

Jackson has signed an eight-year contract with the Blues following an impressive 2022/23 season in La Liga, where he netted 12 goals.

Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley expressed their enthusiasm over the new addition.

They stated, "We are excited to welcome Nicolas to Chelsea. He is a young player with big potential, as he showcased for Villarreal last season. We believe he is ready for this next step in his career and look forward to him working with our new head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, and his Chelsea teammates."

Born in The Gambia, but having spent much of his childhood in Senegal, the 22-year-old Jackson represents Senegal at an international level.

Jackson's career began at the Senegal Premier League side Casa Sports, and he moved to Villarreal in September 2019.

His journey into senior European football began when he was loaned to the Spanish second-tier side Mirandes.

Following a successful campaign with Villarreal's B side, where he played a key role in their promotion from the third tier by scoring both goals in their play-off final victory, Jackson established himself as a formidable force in the senior set-up.

Last summer, Jackson made 38 appearances across all competitions for Villarreal, which earned him a spot in the Senegal World Cup squad.

His international debut came at the World Cup in Qatar. The forward concluded his league season with a tally of nine goals in the final eight matches of the season, earning him the Player of the Month award for May.