Real Madrid reportedly considered a bold swoop for Nicolas Jackson, the 24‑year‑old Senegal striker at Chelsea, aiming to pre‑empt Barcelona.
Real Madrid explore surprise Chelsea raid for Nicolas Jackson – could they outfox Barcelona?
Although no major English or Spanish outlets have confirmed concrete talks, Reports cites a past report from El Nacional suggesting that Florentino Perez had the striker on his radar but according to that same report, Jackson rejected any move to the Bernabeu in 2023.
It remains speculative whether Real rekindled that interest this summer. Meanwhile, TEAMtalk and other outlets report that Barcelona discussed pursuing Jackson on a season-long loan via sporting director Deco, viewing him as a potential long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski.
Barca respect Chelsea’s €50 million–€60 million valuation and their own financial constraints limit their ability to buy.
Real already signed Trent Alexander‑Arnold and Dean Huijsen, and plan further defensive reinforcements, especially at centre‑back and midfield targeting top names to support manager Xabi Alonso.
Despite Jackson’s availability, Madrid are unlikely to chase a costly new striker when established talents like Endrick and Gonzalo Garcia are in their squad.
Why Real signing Jackson seems unlikely Chelsea set a lofty asking price (around £60 million / €68.7 million, according to multiple reports).
Real now have a surplus of forward options, including Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. As a result, they may avoid making a major splash for Jackson when he would likely sit behind their preferred starters.
Jackson signed for £32 million from Villarreal in 2023 and has since scored over 30 goals for Chelsea in 81 appearances.
Despite growing competition from Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, Chelsea continue to view him as a long‑term asset and reportedly would only sanction a departure for a fee that meets their valuation.
While media speculation linked Liverpool’s standout forward with Real Madrid, investigation reveals scant evidence of a serious move.
Real appear to view Jackson as an intriguing name but not a primary target this summer as Barcelona explore only a loan and Chelsea remain firm on his value.
