Tottenham Pursues Nicolas Jackson as Late-Window Striker Option

Tottenham Hotspur have re-emerged in the chase for Nicolas Jackson, with French journalist Fabrice Hawkins reporting that Spurs are one of three clubs monitoring the Chelsea forward as the transfer window ticks into its final stretch.

Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid are also tracking the Senegal international, who is viewed as a potential option rather than a nailed-on primary target at this stage.

Jackson back on Spurs’ radar

Talk of Tottenham interest in Jackson isn’t entirely new. A Mail report a couple of weeks ago claimed Spurs were considering a move, 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 reputation, particularly around French and Francophone players, and his report has given the Jackson-to-Spurs angle fresh life.

The numbers involved are not insignificant. Hawkins mentions a fee of around £60m — a hefty outlay, but still below the £70m Liverpool are said to be seeking for Cody Gakpo. Jackson is also three years younger than the Dutchman and, crucially for Spurs, a natural centre-forward.

Interestingly, that £60m figure is slightly lower than the £65m quoted in the Mail’s earlier story, suggesting Chelsea’s stance may not be quite as immovable as first thought.

Savinho, Gakpo… and a looming pivot

This potential move has all the hallmarks of a contingency plan from Tottenham’s hierarchy rather than a headline act.

Spurs remain focused on attacking targets Savinho and Gakpo as they look to sharpen Roberto De Zerbi’s frontline. But the dominoes higher up the chain are wobbling.

PSG are demanding a huge fee from Liverpool for Bradley Barcola. If Liverpool cannot land Barcola, it becomes far harder to see them green-lighting Gakpo’s departure. That blockage leaves Tottenham needing an escape route.

Jackson fits neatly into that space: a striker they like, one they’ve clearly assessed before, who can be moved on to quickly if the Gakpo pursuit collapses.

An undervalued option?

Jackson arrives with baggage for Spurs supporters. He plays for Chelsea. He has scored against Tottenham. That alone is enough to make some fans instinctively recoil.

Strip that away, though, and the profile is intriguing.

He underperforms his xG, which will alarm the numbers crowd, but he consistently finds shots in the box — the kind of volume and positioning coaches crave. Put that movement and shot profile into De Zerbi’s system and the fit starts to look a lot more appealing.

For all the noise around bigger, flashier names, Jackson feels like one of the more underrated attacking options on the market in this window. The question isn’t so much whether he’s good enough, but why more clubs aren’t pushing harder for him.

Chelsea-to-Spurs deals are never simple, and this remains, for now, a backup plan. But if Tottenham do pull the trigger and Jackson’s first goal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rips into the net, how many of those holding their noses will still be complaining?