Better PL scoring record than Drogba – Is Nicolas Jackson Chelsea’s most underrated star?

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23 in 50 PL games 

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Chelsea have triumphantly defied their critics during their incredible start to life under Enzo Maresca. The Italian’s appointment in the summer was met with cynicism but the Blues sit second place in the Premier League, just two points off leaders Liverpool. Everybody at Chelsea has been tactically playing down their title credentials but their transformation across recent months deserves immense credit.

Cole Palmer, deservedly, receives the lion’s share of praise amongst Chelsea’s squad but the form of Nicolas Jackson justifies recognition. The opinion of Thierry Henry is significantly more important than Tim Sherwood and the Arsenal legend praised Jackson this week, admitting he’s on track to becoming the ‘real deal’. The Senegal international was incredibly raw when he arrived in England from Villareal but his all-round game has gradually improved and his goalscoring record compares favourably with Chelsea royalty.

Nicolas Jackson’s scoring record in the Premier League

Jackson joined Chelsea for €37 million in the summer of 2023 after just one season playing in La Liga. The striker netted 12 goals in 26 appearances for Villareal in the Spanish top-flight but he was clearly far from the finished article when he arrived in England. Jackson relishes the physical battles with centre-backs in the Premier League with his pace and ability to exploit space a major asset to Chelsea. The 26-year-old was unquestionably raw but he’s polished some of the rough edges of games drastically under Maresca. Jackson’s decision making has improved, he’s less erratic and he’s displayed more composure in front of goal – although he can still get better.

The 2-1 win over Brentford on Sunday was Jackson’s 50th Premier League appearance and as the graphic above shows, his scoring record compares favourably to some iconic Chelsea stars. Only Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink (34) and Diego Costa (31) scored more goals in their first 50 league games for Chelsea than Jackson (23). The Senegalese striker ranks ahead of some famous faces including Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Gianfranco Zola. Moreover, Jackson’s record compares favourably to Premier League stars from other clubs since the competition’s inaugural season in 1992/93. Although he ranks 31st, Jackson is ahead of Luis Suárez, Romelu Lukaku, Dennis Bergkamp and Wayne Rooney.

Nicolas Jackson’s market value development

The Chelsea star was rewarded for his excellent form with a €15m market value upgrade during the latest Premier League update. That represented the joint-fifth highest upgrade of any player in the English top-flight with his valuation now at €55m. Jackson is now the joint-fourth most valuable Chelsea player and also joint 30th most valuable player in the Premier League.

As the graphic above illustrates, Jackson’s market value has soared over the last three years as it stood at just €300k in December 2021. During his first full season with Villareal in La Liga, Jackson’s valuation increased by €14m but it’s risen exponentially since joining Chelsea. The striker has been upgraded by €25m since moving to West London and Jackson possesses huge room for growth aged just 23.