Nicolas Jackson Chooses Newcastle Over Rivals as Chelsea Green-Light £64m Exit

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has set his sights on a move to Newcastle United, turning down interest from other clubs in the current summer transfer window.

According to The Sun UK, the Senegal international is keen to leave Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea are reportedly open to his departure for a fee in the region of £64 million.

Jackson has been training alone and was notably absent from Chelsea’s recent pre-season friendly wins against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan — a clear sign that his chapter with the Blues is nearing its end.

The 23-year-old, who joined Chelsea from Villarreal, is being lined up as Newcastle’s potential replacement for Alexander Isak, should the Swedish forward complete a high-profile switch to Liverpool this summer.

In other transfer news, Chelsea confirmed on Monday that defender Maelys Mpome has sealed a permanent move to Brighton. The 22-year-old French international, who joined the club last year after a four-year spell with Montpellier, made her Chelsea debut in October 2024 during a Champions League group-stage clash with Real Madrid. The club has wished her success in this next chapter of her career.

Opinion:
For Chelsea fans, Jackson’s imminent exit will be met with mixed feelings. On one hand, he showed flashes of potential and physical presence up front; on the other, his inconsistency and finishing struggles left many unconvinced. At £64 million, the Blues seem happy to cash in, especially as they continue reshaping their squad under the new project.

For Newcastle, this could be a smart piece of business — if Jackson’s raw attributes can be refined, he has the tools to thrive in Eddie Howe’s system. The risk? He may carry the same inconsistency that haunted him in London.

As for Mpome, her departure is a reminder of how competitive Chelsea’s women’s squad remains, with talented players often moving on to find more game time. Brighton could well benefit from her energy and defensive sharpness.

The bigger question for Chelsea is whether these exits will be followed by bold reinforcements — or whether fans will be left wondering if the squad is actually getting stronger.