According to reports, Manchester United have made a ‘transfer decision’ on signing Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson with two reasons given for their verdict.
The Red Devils are crying out for a new striker after Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee only scored seven Premier League goals combined in 2024/25.
However, Man Utd have already missed out on Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres amid their financial difficulties and failure to qualify for Europe ahead of next season.
These disappointments have forced United to turn to potential alternatives and Jackson has been mentioned as an option. It has been claimed that Chelsea could cash in on the forward, who is likely to be behind Joao Pedro and Liam Delap in the pecking order if he stays at Stamford Bridge.
A report from Football Insider claims Chelsea want as much as £80m for Jackson this summer, with former Premier League chief scout Mick Brown claiming the striker’s “temperament” and United’s ability to get “better players for the money” are the two reasons for INEOS’ ‘transfer decision’ on this potential signing.
“No, I wouldn’t expect that one to happen,” Brown told Football Insider.
“I would be very, very surprised if Man United signed Jackson. There are concerns about his temperament and the mental side of his game, and I don’t think he’s consistent enough on the pitch to overrule those concerns.
“If Chelsea are looking to get rid of him, that tells you whether he’s good enough for United.
“I don’t think he’s the type of striker they need, and they’ll be looking at their other options. Especially when you consider the price it would take to get him out of Chelsea.
“I expect he’s on a long contract there like all of his teammates, so they’re not going to let him go on the cheap, and definitely not to Man United.
“For the money it would take to get him, there are better players they could bring in. He hasn’t done anything at Chelsea that would make him the ideal man for United.”
Former Premier League winger Jermaine Pennant also claims Man Utd should look past Jackson, who would suit a move to Brighton.
“I’m not sure if Nicolas Jackson is the man for a top team as we’ve seen during his time at Chelsea. It’s an interesting one to see where he goes if he leaves the club. He’s in the Darwin Nunez bracket for me – he gets loads of chances, but he isn’t prolific,” Pennant said.
“If I were him, I’d look a little below that level – someone like Brighton. I think that could work because he’d do well there – they should be looking at him.
“Manchester United are linked but I’m not too sure that’s the right move for the club – it could be another Rasmus Hojlund situation. He obviously believes in himself and thinks he should be at a top team, but I can’t see him being the number one for a top six side.”