Tottenham Considers Nicolas Jackson as Backup Striker Option
Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season rhythm briefly paused for transfer intrigue on Friday, with fresh reports linking the club to Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson.
French journalist Fabrice Hawkins reports that Spurs are one of three clubs “monitoring” the Senegal international in the final stretch of the window, alongside Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid. The interest is described as exploratory rather than advanced, but Jackson has clearly moved onto the radar of several major clubs.
A Rumour That Won’t Go Away
This isn’t the first time Jackson’s name has been tied to Tottenham this summer. A Mail report a couple of weeks ago claimed Spurs were “considering” a move for the 23-year-old, only for that story to be quickly dismissed by several well-connected English reporters, including Alasdair Gold.
This latest line feels different. Hawkins has a strong track record, particularly around French and Francophone players, and his report gives the Jackson talk more weight than the earlier noise.
The number attached is significant: a fee in the region of £60m. That’s a hefty outlay, but still shy of the £70m Liverpool are understood to have asked for Cody Gakpo. Jackson is also three years younger than the Dutchman and, crucially for Spurs, a natural centre-forward.
Plan B Taking Shape
The shape of Tottenham’s attacking plan is becoming clearer. Jackson is not thought to be the headline target. Spurs are still pushing hardest for Savinho and Gakpo as they look to sharpen Roberto De Zerbi’s front line.
But the market is tangled. PSG are demanding a huge fee from Liverpool for Bradley Barcola, and if the French champions refuse to budge, Liverpool have little incentive to part with Gakpo. That stalemate could close one door for Spurs and force them to open another.
That is where Jackson comes in. The Chelsea striker is viewed as one of the contingency options if a deal for Gakpo collapses. The £60m figure mentioned by Hawkins is actually slightly below the £65m quoted in the Mail’s earlier story, suggesting there may be some room to manoeuvre if Chelsea decide to cash in.
An Underrated Option?
Jackson comes with baggage for Spurs supporters. He plays for Chelsea. He has scored against Tottenham. That alone will make some fans bristle.
Strip the badge away, though, and the profile is intriguing. Jackson underperforms his xG, which frustrates coaches and analysts alike, but he consistently finds shooting positions inside the box. For a side that wants volume and quality of chances, that matters.
In De Zerbi’s aggressive, front-foot system, a mobile striker who repeatedly arrives in dangerous areas has real value. Jackson fits that template. He may not be the flawless finisher some crave, yet his underlying numbers suggest a player who could explode if he sharpens his composure.
Plenty will hold their nose at the idea of a Chelsea forward walking into the Tottenham dressing room. Those objections tend to fade quickly once the ball starts hitting the net.
For now, Jackson remains exactly what he looks like: a live backup plan. Spurs’ priority list still reads Savinho and Gakpo. But with the clock ticking, and the market tightening, Tottenham are clearly making sure they have somewhere else to turn if the dominoes at Liverpool and PSG refuse to fall.
