Chelsea set transfer price for striker who agreed deal with Liverpool chief

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes had previously attempted to secure the services of Nicolas Jackson during his tenure at Bournemouth.

Although that move didn't come to fruition, the Chelsea forward could be on the brink of a transfer once again. The 24-year-old has had a decent run at Stamford Bridge, netting 31 goals in 80 appearances across all competitions.

However, doubts over whether Jackson can propel Chelsea further prompted the club to sign Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. Jackson saw limited game time during Chelsea's recent FIFA Club World Cup victory.

He failed to make an appearance in the quarter-final against Palmeiras and the final against Paris Saint-Germain, with Pedro seemingly now the preferred choice. Jackson's tournament started well with an assist in the Blues first match.

However, a straight red card after coming off the bench in Chelsea's 3-1 defeat to Flamengo earned him a two-match suspension. He only made one more appearance, a brief cameo in the Blues' semi-final victory over Fluminese.

As uncertainty looms over the striker's future in west London, Chelsea have set their asking price for the former Villarreal player at a hefty £80million.

Interest in Jackson has been shown by clubs from Europe and Saudi Arabia. However, with eight years remaining on his contract, Chelsea are under no obligation to sell.

Among the potential interested parties is Manchester United, who have reportedly reached out to his representatives to explore a potential transfer.

Sky Sports have reported that Liverpool's £79m deal with Eintracht Frankfurt for Hugo Ekitike has set the precedent for the fee Chelsea are seeking for Jackson. The Blues' valuation is based on Jackson's superior goal contributions over the past two seasons in a league they consider more challenging than the Bundesliga.

Jackson has chalked up 34 goal contributions in the last two Premier League campaigns, outperforming Ekitike's 29 during his entire stint at Frankfurt. While Ekitike is poised to become Liverpool's new forward, Jackson was once high on Hughes' wishlist during his tenure as Bournemouth's sporting director.

Hughes was impressed by Jackson during his time at Villarreal and agreed a £20.3m fee to bring the striker to Bournemouth in January 2023. Southampton appeared to be the likely destination for Jackson, but Hughes stepped in to disrupt the move.

The transfer seemed all but confirmed when footage emerged of the striker boarding a private jet bound for the UK to finalise negotiations. However, a hamstring injury detected during his medical led Bournemouth to pull the plug on the deal.

Facing a relegation scrap, the club chose not to wait for Jackson's recovery, fearing it could jeopardise their Premier League status. In the end, neither eventuality came to pass, and the following summer saw Hughes miss out as Jackson made his way to west London instead.

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