Chelsea make Nicolas Jackson repeat: €40m striker to follow in Salah’s footsteps

Robin Bairner

• 2 Apr 2025 02:00 CDT
• 7 min read

News

Chelsea’s decision to sign Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal in 2023 for €37 million might not have won universal approval from fans of the Stamford Bridge club, but that’s not about to stop the Blues from revisiting the LaLiga side in a similar deal this summer.

Thierno Barry has emerged as a transfer target for Chelsea ahead of the summer, with the Blues lining up a €40m bid for the Frenchman, who only arrived in Spain last summer from FC Basel.

Current ETV

Thierno Barry

F (C)

Villarreal

Thierno Barry

F (C)

Villarreal

€18.3M

ETV Range

€16.5M - €20.1M

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The Swiss side has won a hard-earned reputation for refining some of the finest talent in the game, with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah the clearest example of this. Indeed, Basel sold Salah to Chelsea in 2013 for €16.5m, so Barry could follow in the footsteps of the Ballon d’Or hopeful.

Chelsea have been impressed with Barry’s speed, strength and determination in the penalty box, while they believe the 22-year-old still has significant untapped potential in his game, according to Fichajes.

As such, a bid worth €40m will be sent to Villarreal, where the striker is said to be “enthusiastic” over the prospect of moving to the Premier League.

Thierno Barry: Another Nicolas Jackson?

Chelsea fans will be wary of Barry given that Jackson has struggled to win them over because of his erratic finishing.

There are reasons to be optimistic, though. Data analytics company SciSports rates Barry more highly than the Senegal striker when he first moved to Stamford Bridge in terms of raw ability – even if he has actually scored fewer goals for Villarreal in LaLiga. He already has a similar statistical profile.

Thierno Barry vs Nicolas Jackson: Skill level

Thierno Barry vs Nicolas Jackson: Statistical profile 2024/25

On top of this, Jackson’s transfer value has exploded since moving to Chelsea. His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €69.9m. If the Blues can sell him for anything like this figure, they will turn a healthy profit on him, which can get pumped back into the squad, more than funding the Barry deal.

Chelsea supporters, however, might prefer a more established striker given their frustrating form in front of goal in recent seasons. Victor Osimhen is one of the names strongly linked with the Stamford Bridge side.