Chelsea paid just over €35million to activate the 22-year-old forward’s release clause at Villarreal.
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: “We are excited to welcome Nicolas to Chelsea. He’s a young, talented player who showed his potential for Villarreal during the past 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.”
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Jackson joined Villarreal in 2019 and, after progressing through their youth ranks, made his La Liga debut in 2021.
He has attracted the interest of Southampton and Bournemouth in January, almost joining the latter — as reported by The Athletic.
Jackson scored 13 goals in 38 games last season for Villarreal.
He made his debut for Senegal in November, coming on as a substitute against the Netherlands during the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar.
Chelsea are set for a squad refresh this summer under Pochettino.
Kai Havertz is close to joining Arsenal in a £65m deal, while Mateo Kovacic is nearing a move to Manchester City. N’Golo Kante has left to join Saudi Arabia side Al Ittihad.
What can Chelsea expect from Jackson?
Analysis by Thom Harris
Jackson’s standout attribute is largely his effectiveness on the transition, able to combine his muscular frame with close controlThe following are some examples of how to get started: a quick turn of pace.
The map below shows how effective he is at moving forward with the ball. In May, he provided two assists on the pitch while running away from Girona. This was enough to secure European football for Villarreal.
Jackson’s eye for goals is evident both in and outside the area. Jackson scored nine goals in the final eight games. La LigaPlay only games Gabri Veiga out-performed his expected goals by more than Jackson’s 4.0, a promising display of finishing ability.
Plus, 36 of the Senegalese’s 41 shots came from inside the area, pointing to his close-range poaching abilities.
(Top photo: Aitor Alcalde Colomer/Getty Images)
