Chelsea Set £60 Million Price Tag on Nicolas Jackson Amid Interest from Tottenham and Aston Villa

Chelsea have put a £60 million price tag on Nicolas Jackson as Tottenham and Aston Villa circle, with the valuation already threatening to choke off one of the window’s more intriguing striker sagas.

Jackson is back at Cobham after a productive loan at Bayern Munich, where he hit 11 goals in 34 games last season. Bayern had an option to buy for €65m (£55.5m) but walked away, leaving Chelsea with a 25-year-old forward who has just come off a World Cup with Senegal and a decision to make.

That decision now rests with Xabi Alonso. The new Chelsea head coach has been handed the final say on Jackson’s future and, according to RMC Sport, is prepared to let him go before the window shuts. Chelsea are too – but only on their terms.

Those terms are steep. The club want £60m, a figure already being described as the “main obstacle” to any deal. Tottenham, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid are all interested, but none have yet been willing to meet Chelsea’s demand.

The tension around Jackson’s future sharpened this weekend. He was left out of the squad entirely as Alonso’s side beat Real Sociedad 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in their final pre-season friendly, a notable omission at a time when his name is all over the market.

Chelsea have already moved to reshape their forward line. Danny Welbeck has arrived from Brighton in a £5m deal, a low-cost, experienced addition who changes the dynamic at the top end of the pitch and nudges Jackson closer to the exit.

He is not the only striker in limbo.

Liam Delap, another centre-forward Chelsea are ready to cash in on, also played no part against Real Sociedad. The club are open to offers, and there is firm interest from Serie A: Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas and already home to former Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, have made an approach.

Delap, though, has his eyes on something else. The 23-year-old would rather stay in the Premier League, and that stance could yet reshape the chase for his signature. Chelsea, for their part, are holding out for around £40m – a sizeable mark-up on the £30m they paid Ipswich Town last year.

So Chelsea’s summer up front is clear enough. One new striker in on the cheap. Two saleable assets on the market at premium prices. Now it comes down to who blinks first: the clubs chasing goals, or a club determined to name their price.