NICOLAS JACKSON is happy to stay at Chelsea – but only if he regains his first-team spot.
Jackson is due to return to the Blues after winning the Bundesliga title and German Cup during his season on loan at Bayern Munich.
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Nicolas Jackson is willing to stay at Chelsea this summer Credit: Getty
The forward has spent this season on loan at Bayern Munich Credit: Getty
Chelsea are expected to meet the Senegal striker’s representatives in the next fortnight to discuss his future.
Jackson has an open mind, with staying at Stamford Bridge next season, going out on loan again and seeking a permanent move away all on the agenda.
But as things stand, the 24-year-old would want reassurance he would be a first choice for the Blues under new boss Xabi Alonso.
It was Jackson’s unwillingness to play second fiddle to new £30m signing Liam Delap last summer which led to him leaving for Bayern.
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Center forward Delap flopped, scoring just one Premier League goal in an injury-hit season.
Joao Pedro, a £60m recruit from Brighton, ended up playing mainly as a No9 and finished as top scorer and player of the year.
Yet JattvibeSport revealed Blues stars still missed some of Jackson’s attributes, particularly his ability to play as a penalty area striker and pull the rest of the team with him.
Pedro has been outstanding, but prefers to operate on the edge of the box.
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It remains to be seen what system Alonso wants to play and where Jackson would fit.
One option would be for Jackson to play up front, with Pedro supporting him from the left and Estevao or Cole Palmer from the right.
Jackson scored 11 goals in 34 appearances for Bayern, 15 of them starts.
He was mainly used as back-up for goal machine Harry Kane but would not be prepared to settle for a similar understudy role back at Chelsea.
