From Thomas Partey to Ademola Lookman, Atlético Madrid have enjoyed the services of quite a few West African footballers in recent years.
And the latest player to emerge from the Bulge of Africa and make a name for himself at the Metropolitano could very well be Nicolas Jackson.
After growing up in Gambia and Senegal, Jackson made his move to Villarreal in 2019, shortly after his 18th birthday. Following a loan spell at Mirandes, he broke onto the scene for the Yellow Submarine. He made his first-team
debut on Oct. 3, 2021, but it would take him nearly two years to truly establish himself as one of the most exciting strikers in Spain.
Having missed out on a January 2023 move to Bournemouth through injury, Jackson would bounce back with nine goals in April and May, enough to see him earn a move to Chelsea. After 92 appearances across Spain’s top three divisions, Jackson was headed for England.
It didn’t take Jackson long to justify his £32 million price tag. He racked up 14 goals in 35 Premier League appearances and earned praise from the likes of Steve Fletcher, before he played a vital role in Chelsea’s conquest of the 2025 UEFA Conference League.
However, he didn’t end the season on the best of terms. During a game against Newcastle that May, Jackson was sent off for a deliberate elbow to Newcastle’s Sven Botman. One month later, he saw red just four minutes after coming on as a substitute in the FIFA Club World Cup against Flamengo, who took the lead shortly after en route to a 3-1 comeback victory in Philadelphia.
I was there in the press box that day, listening as the legendary sportscaster Martin Tyler quipped “some substitutions win you matches (referring to Bruno Henrique, who scored a goal and assist within six minutes of coming on), and some substitutions lose you matches.” The various journalists in the room predicted that expulsion would spell the end of Jackson’s Chelsea career, and they were proven right: the forward made just one brief cameo vs. Fluminense in the remainder of the tournament.
Just a few days after his sending-off, Chelsea signed Brighton & Hove Albion striker Joao Pedro for £55 million plus £5m in add-ons, and Pedro would end up scoring three goals in the final two games to lead the Blues to the ultimate prize in New Jersey.
Jackson stuck around in West London until the final day of the transfer window before joining Bayern Munich on a season-long loan for a reported fee of €16.5 million. In Bavaria, he had the mission of backing up one of the best strikers in the world in Harry Kane. He did just that, emerging as a reliable option off the bench with 11 goals and four assists across 34 appearances and helping Bayern to a Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal under Vincent Kompany. However, Jackson failed to make his mark in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he delivered two underwhelming displays vs. France and Norway before dropping to the bench for Senegal’s final two matches vs. Iraq and Belgium.
Chelsea’s new manager Xabi Alonso has been willing to give Jackson a chance. He came off the bench in preseason friendlies vs. Juventus and Milan before starting vs. Malaysian side JDT. However, it’s clear that Chelsea were always planning to offload Jackson, whose contract will expire in 2033. Even with Chelsea set to sell Liam Delap to Nottingham Forest, they still have Emmanuel Emegha and Danny Welbeck coming in and adding to a star-studded attack featuring Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and new arrival Morgan Rogers. There simply isn’t any room for Jackson, and it’s no surprise that he was omitted from their opening day squad at Fulham.
As the top experts in soccer betting explained, it’s likely that Jackson will be surplus to requirements this season (and perhaps forever) at Stamford Bridge. Aston Villa have reportedly tabled a bid of £65m (bonuses included) for the Senegal striker, with the expected departure of Ollie Watkins as well as injuries to Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham leaving them shorn of a recognized #9.
Atlético Madrid could very well enter the equation in the final week of the summer window. So far, the Colchoneros have added to their midfield with Morten Hjulmand and reinforced their defense with the signings of Cristian Romero and Alex Grimaldo, while Kang-in Lee will be seeking to fill Antoine Griezmann’s creative void up front. The one incognito though remains Julián Alvarez’s future. The Argentine forward was booed at the Metropolitano in Sunday’s stalemate vs. Villarreal following a lengthy summer transfer saga, and while Atleti have stood firm in preventing him from leaving to domestic rivals Barcelona, they might be warming up to selling him to a foreign side like Arsenal. If that happens, they will need to sign a replacement before the window shuts.
For now, Jackson will continue training away from the Chelsea first team and await his future. While he could end up reuniting with Unai Emery, who gave him his LaLiga debut five years ago, a charm offensive from Diego Simeone could very well sway his mood.
