Chelsea ‘flop’ viewed as ‘better option’ than Newcastle United’s 24-goal hitman
Alexander Isak has bagged nine more Premier League goals than Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson in 2023-24
Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has urged Chelsea against signing Alexander Isak this summer.
Clubs are reportedly lining up to tempt the Swede away from Newcastle United. His 24 goals across all competitions in 2023-24 have seen him nominated for the Premier League’s Player of the Season award.
Europa League qualification is in sight - largely down to Isak’s heroics for Newcastle. The 24-year-old - who arrived on Tyneside less than two years ago for a club-record fee - has downplayed the speculation.
Toon chiefs would also demand a colossal fee given the £63million stumped up to Real Sociedad in August 2022. But former Arsenal midfielder Petit believes Chelsea would be better off sticking with Nicolas Jackson, viewed by many as a flop.
Jackson’s erraticness in front of goal has drawn criticism but four goals from his last five games shows signs of improvement. Speaking to Grosvenor Casino, Petit highlighted Stamford Bridge as a graveyard for strikers, namely Fernando Torres, Andriy Shevchenko and Romelu Lukaku, as a reason to be cautious.
“Chelsea do not need Osimhen or Isak, “ he said. “We all know about the No.9 curse at Chelsea and, in the last couple of months, we’ve seen what Jackson can do.
“There’s no need to put more pressure on him by signing someone like Isak on his back. You need competition in every position, but when you have someone like Jackson starting to emerge, don’t put pressure on him and let him explode. For me, if I’m Chelsea, I’m not buying Isak as Jackson is already beginning to flourish.”