- Nicolas Jackson was sent off again as Chelsea suffered a 3-1 defeat on Friday
- The striker has been contacted by a European club amid doubts over his future
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Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is attracting interest from a European giant, according to a report.
The 24-year-old has led the line for the Blues over the last past seasons, scoring 30 goals in 80 appearances across all competitions.
However, he has drawn criticism from fans and pundits for his lack of efficiency in front of goal as well as his poor discipline, having been sent off in Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Flamengo in the Club World Cup.
Jackson now faces more competition for a starting spot following the £30million arrival of Liam Delap from Ipswich.
However, the Senegal international could head for the exit after being sounded out by Juventus, according to Sky Italia.
Napoli are also said to be interested in Jackson, but are prioritising moves for Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca.
Jackson already suspended domestically following his Premier League dismissal at Newcastle on May 11, lasted only four minutes against Flamengo on Friday.
He was shown a straight red card for raking his studs down the shin of Ayrton Lucas — just moments after coming off the bench.
The forward took to Instagram after the match to issue a grovelling apology.
‘I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down,’ he wrote.
‘Another red card and honestly, I’m so angry at myself. I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this kind of situation.
‘I still don’t fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn’t intentional. Just a football moment that went the wrong way. No excuses. I take full responsibility.
‘I’ll reflect, I’ll grow, and I’ll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.’
Meanwhile, Maresca was asked why he dropped Jackson in favour of Delap.
The Italian explained: ‘Just because they are both very good and we decide game by game who is going to play. But also some new players like Chalobah are playing from the start. I made some changes and hopefully they are good ones.
‘They are quite similar (Delap and Jackson). I think Liam also needs a little time to adapt to his team-mates, the way we want to play – the way we want him to play.
‘But no doubt that he is going to do well.’
