Enzo Maresca drops Chelsea transfer bombshell as he confirms star player "not going to be part" of the squad
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca seems to have confirmed that one of their top stars is leaving the club.
Football managers typically keep transfer rumours under wraps, especially when it comes to the Premier League.
But Maresca has bucked the trend today, having spoken to the media ahead of their clash with West Ham United on Friday, August 22.
There, he appeared to confirm that striker Nicolas Jackson is leaving Stamford Bridge for good. It’s a move that has been heavily rumoured all summer, with the Cameroon international falling down the pecking order behind new arrivals Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.
Earlier this transfer window, the Blues slapped a £100m price tag on Jackson, and although it’s unlikely any club would match this valuation, it proves that whichever team he goes to will have to cough up a hefty sum.
His exact destination is unknown at the time of publication, but Aston Villa and Newcastle United are perhaps the most likely candidates - the latter in particular if they fail to land Brentford’s Yoane Wissa.
Maresca said: “He [Jackson] is available, but he’s not going to be part of the squad.
“As we already said, we have two strikers, we have two players in that position, and also we know that something can happen before the transfer window closes.
“You already know from last season that I prefer to be focused on training sessions - prepare for the game, and these kind of things.”