Hasselbaink Foresees High Value for Jackson, Commends Chelsea’s Development

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, a former forward for Chelsea, expressed his conviction that Nicolas Jackson “is going to be worth a lot of money” should he sustain his goal-scoring and overall improvement throughout the current season. During an appearance on the BBC’s Planet Premier League podcast, Hasselbaink shared his assessment of the Premier League’s leading strikers, stating: “You have [Erling] Haaland and there’s [Alexander] Isak, who is having a difficult time at the moment but I really rate him, [Ollie] Watkins and then I would say you have Jackson. Those four are really the top strikers.” Jackson, at 23 years old, is a young player who has not yet participated in Champions League football. While he faced challenges with converting opportunities last year, his performance is now showing improvement. Hasselbaink highlighted several areas where Jackson can still develop, particularly concerning his play with his back to the goal, his engagement in duels, and his ability to simplify his actions on the field. He further suggested that Jackson’s movement within the penalty area during crosses could be enhanced by positioning himself across centre-backs rather than merely waiting at the far post. Hasselbaink reiterated that if Jackson maintains his current trajectory of improvement, he “is going to be worth a lot of money,” noting that this season he is scoring crucial goals, a contrast to his performance last year. This indicates ongoing improvement and substantial potential for further development in his game. Additionally, Hasselbaink conveyed his encouragement regarding Chelsea’s notable improvement this season under the management of Enzo Maresca. He further commented, “I like everything, really,” elaborating, “I see an identity, I see patterns and I see an idea behind what they’re doing.” He observed that the team is “trying to suck the opposition in to get space behind the opposition.” He also noted, “I can see runners and I see somebody that is tough on the players. There is an expectation and there is a demand but you’re not hearing bad things coming out about Chelsea at the moment.”