Where Nicolas Jackson ranks in unwanted xG stat as £32m investment yet to pay dividends

Nicolas Jackson current XG highlights Chelsea striker’s poor performance this season

Despite scoring 10 goals in the Premier League in his first season as a Chelsea player, Nicolas Jackson’s performance in some games has raised doubts about whether he should be the club’s starting striker next campaign.

Jackson was a controversial acquisition for Chelsea, who paid £32 million to get him from Villarreal. After the Blues’ poor goal-scoring performance in the previous campaign, many questioned the club’s decision to sign a youthful striker rather than a seasoned centre-forward.

The forward’s finishing has been the talk of the town this campaign, where he has failed to convert the easiest of chances. As per Squawka, Jackson boasts 4.4 expected goals, ranking third behind Darwin Nunez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Despite boasting a decent XG, the forward’s finishing has been the main problem, and games against Manchester City and Arsenal signalled the Blues need to bring in a striker who has killer instincts in front of the goal while Jackson acts as an alternative.

Meanwhile, the Senegalese’s other traits, such as ball holding, link-up play, and ability to beat defenders, have been excellent, but the Blues need him to remain vigilant in front of the goal and provide goals to the club in crucial matches.

Jackson’s first season may have made us harsh on him, but we can still hope that he will gain experience and perfect his finishing touch. Once he does, we will have a top striker at our disposal because Jackson already has excellent offensive qualities and only needs to fulfil his goal-scoring potential.

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We have a man who can score 20 goals in a season once he stops missing those simple opportunities. He has already tallied ten goals, and if he hadn’t squandered the opportunities thus far in the Premier League, he may have been vying with Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot.