In a record-breaking transfer window, Spurs have been among the Premier League’s most active clubs, as Roberto De Zerbi builds a squad that will be able to challenge for games in Europe.
The Lilywhites have really shown their financial muscle, spending just under £250 million on new players. They first broke their own transfer record when they signed Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85 million – only to repeat the feat when they spent £100 million on Sandro Tonali from Newcastle.
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Defensive reinforcements have already arrived in the form of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, who both arrived as free agents, as well as Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton. Now, De Zerbi has set his sights on the attacking line, admitting that he wants more attacking power in the final third before the transfer window closes on September 1.
Only seven clubs scored fewer goals than Tottenham’s 48 in the Premier League last season, and Spurs are actively working to bring in players who can reverse that trend. The club have reportedly made bids totalling £145 million for Savinho and Cody Gakpo from Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, in an attempt to bolster their winger positions.
But De Zerbi also wants a striker in the centre who can compete with current alternatives, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison. According to reports, Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson is now on their radar.
RMC Sport reports that Tottenham, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid are all interested in signing Jackson, who is considered redundant under Xabi Alonso’s new management. The Senegalese recently returned to Stamford Bridge after a solid loan spell at Bayern Munich, where he served as a backup for Harry Kane and recorded 11 goals in 34 games.
Still, that form is not good enough to convince Alonso that Jackson deserves a central role at Chelsea. The Spaniard chose to leave him out, along with Tosin Adarabioyo and Liam Delap, from the squad that beat Real Sociedad 3-1 on Saturday.
An exit therefore seems increasingly likely for Jackson, who has 30 goals in 81 appearances for Chelsea – but only if BlueCo are willing to lower the price tag. It is widely reported that the west London club want around £60 million for the 25-year-old, with RMC Sport describing this as a “significant hurdle” for the interested clubs.
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With a contract until 2033, Chelsea are in a comfortable negotiating position, but Jackson himself is desperate for regular first-team football – something that is far from guaranteed at Stamford Bridge. There are Joao Pedro, Danny Welbeck and Emmanuel Emegha ahead of him in the hierarchy.
Tottenham’s interest in Jackson comes as no surprise either, given how he has performed against them in the past. Among other things, he scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over the Lilywhites in November 2023 – a game in which he showed his most clinical side, albeit against a Spurs team reduced to nine men.
Still, many were surprised by his statements after crushing his rivals. Jackson then admitted that Tottenham have “fantastic” fans:
“I always have to improve and work harder. We continue to work. Tottenham has a fantastic stadium and fantastic fans, so we had to fight to win the game,” Jackson said.
The comment was not exactly well received by Chelsea supporters. But if he makes the short trip over to North London to join Spurs this summer, he will get to experience the “fantastic” support up close – every single week.
