Nicolas Jackson was Chelsea's first-choice center-forward last season. He had a good record, scoring 10 goals with five assists in 30 Premier League games. He also scored three times in three matches in the Europa Conference League. This included a goal in the final as the Blues triumphed against Real Betis.
Despite being a part of Chelsea's Club World Cup-winning side, it was a summer to forget for Jackson. He was sent off in their 3-1 loss to Falmengo in the group stage. This went along with a red card he received in a match against Newcastle United at the end of the Premier League campaign.
Chelsea also brought in Liam Delap and João Pedro as striking options, who have sent Jackson down the pecking order. The Blues have a big squad, so Jackson could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge.
The Times has reported that "Manchester United monitoring situation of Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson. Club are considering move for striker to help solve goalscoring problems, with 24-year-old’s future in west London in doubt."
Would Nicolas Jackson be a good fit at Manchester United?
United are in desperate need of a new center-forward as Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee have failed to impress. Ruben Amorim's side has signed Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, but he is more of a second striker or winger rather than a center-forward.
Jackson has proved that he can perform in the Premier League in the last two seasons. He also performed well in La Liga for Villarreal before his move to Chelsea. The forward is also a Senegal international. Therefore, he is a player that United should be taking a chance on.
What would be a successful season for Manchester United?
Last season was a disaster for United as they finished 15th in the Premier League. Their campaign got worse when they lost in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur. Amorom's team will be without European soccer next season, so they need to get back to competition on the continent.
Amoirm will have his first summer transfer window and pre-season to get United used to his style of play. The manager can draw a line under the last campaign as he took over from Erik ten Hag partway through it. However, if the Red Devils continue to struggle, then he will be shown the door.
Qualifying for the Champions League may be a stretch, as finishing in the Premier League's top five may still be beyond United. However, if they can qualify for the Europa League, then this will be a successful season. Crystal Palace proved that they can win the FA Cup last season. If the Eagles can do it, then United should also be targeting a run in one of England's domestic cup competitions.
Without European soccer, Amorim can solely focus on the Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup. Therefore, there will be no excuses for not having a cup run and at least a top-seven finish in the league.