After another very weak and disappointing performance of Liam Delap, who started the match against Bournemouth, we are asking the question: are Joao Pedro and Liam Delap an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson at all?
Nicolas Jackson is under contract with Chelsea, but will never play for the club. Is Liam Delap a bigger flop than Joao Pedro is?
Two strikers in the summer, and huge disappointments, both of them? Would Chelsea be better with Nicolas Jackson in the striker position? How Joao Pedro’s great form tricked everybody in on the Club World Cup.
In this analysis from 12th December 2025, we asked that question and answered it for you.
Chelsea: Nicolas Jackson would be a perfect striker for this Chelsea. This team has been built for him
December 12, 2025 4 min read
No one talks about it anymore. The popular opinion is that Jackson is not good enough for Chelsea; many believe he would not be missed because he is a poor player. However, the situation is completely different.
Chelsea bought two strikers in the summer. Jackson sat on the bench while João Pedro was scoring at the FIFA Club World Cup. He became the third option in attack and wanted to leave.
After disagreements with manager Enzo Maresca at the Club World Cup, it became clear that Jackson would leave Chelsea permanently of his own accord. And it looked like Chelsea had made the perfect choice with João Pedro, who seemed like an ideal No. 9 for the club from Stamford Bridge.
Liam Delap also looked excellent during those Club World Cup days, and it seemed Chelsea had solved their striker situation, leaving Jackson’s departure as the only logical option.
However, in December, after catastrophic attacking performances from Chelsea, João Pedro was moved to an attacking midfield role and brought no presence to the team. Liam Delap is injured again and still not at the level of Chelsea’s top strikers’ demands, while Nicolas Jackson moved to Bayern on loan, where he is far from shining. He is regularly not in the starting lineup, and his career in Bayern has not flourished since his arrival.
Nicolas Jaskon’s importance at Chelsea
But we forget one important thing — Nicolas Jackson spent the last three seasons at Chelsea playing a vital role as the club’s main striker. He did miss many chances and cost Chelsea at times, but he was a true No. 9 who constantly threatened opposing defences.
He was the classic striker type that Chelsea desperately lacks now. He was a dangerous option, a pure centre-forward who attacked the opponents’ centre-backs. He scored many goals, was always a threat, and was exactly what João Pedro is not.
He was opening him self without the ball, and with the ball, he was running straight through the pitch; he was attempting hard and was in dangerous positions with the ball, constantly attempting.
He was running with the ball and passing; he was doing everything that Joao Pedro is not doing. He was Chelsea’s first-choice striker for a few seasons and a very important player for the club. He was a very important player for the team, and now he is no longer there. He had to be missed.
His goals for Chelsea in the past two seasons kept adding up; he was a striker who attacked the penalty area, combined well with Palmer and Madueke, and was very efficient, dangerous, and lethal in many matches. He was not a dribbler — he was a true No. 9 making strong runs and attacking defenders. He was where he needed to be, and he scored. He netted 24 goals for the club from West London.
This team was built to use exactly the type of player Nicolas Jackson is. This squad needs a striker who attacks space and finishes actions. This team had Nicolas Jackson, and he would have been the perfect player for this system.
He would have had countless chances to score and would have been a crucial part of Enzo Maresca’s attacking structure this season. His ability inside the box would have been decisive and lethal for opposing defences, and he would have produced far more than the very poor João Pedro.
He was at the club last season, and as the team’s first striker, the club has developed his offensive side of the game. He would be a perfect striker for the Club this season. The system Chelsea plays would suit him extremely. His finishing abilities are much greater the the ones Joao Pedro has.
It is over between Jackson and Chelsea
However, between Chelsea and Jackson, everything ended in the summer. Harsh words were said, and there is no chance that Nicolas Jackson will play for Chelsea again, even though he is still under contract. Had the disagreements not happened, and had Jackson stayed at Stamford Bridge after losing his place, the situation would be completely different today.
Chelsea is missing a striker who scores goals and threatens opponents. Had Nicolas Jackson stayed, we would likely be watching a remarkable season from him, showing all his qualities.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, they are stuck with João Pedro, who lacks the quality to play as a central striker and is not direct or decisive enough to apply consistent pressure on the opponent’s goal. His performances as an attacking midfielder have also been underwhelming, revealing that Chelsea made a poor choice at centre-forward and that João Pedro is a major flop, comparable to some of the club’s biggest striker failures.
Nicolas Jackson at Chelsea was far more efficient and far better than João Pedro, who was brought in from Brighton for a significant transfer fee. Joao Pedro has shown as a zero upgrade to Nicolas Jackson at Chelsea.
The original analysis can be found here:
https://premierleagueanalysis.com/nicolas-jackson-would-be-perfect-striker-for-this-chelsea-this-team-has-been-built-for-him/
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