Former Netherlands national men’s football team striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes that Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson is a better fit for English Premier League club Chelsea than Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen.
Hasselbaink, who made the comments on a recent episode of the Obione Podcast hosted by Mikel Obi, said he is not convinced that Osimhen will thrive in the EPL.
He further stated that he likes Nicolas Jackson because of the energy he brings to the Chelsea team through his work rate, industriousness, and overall intensity.
The Chelsea legend also argued that although Nicolas Jackson misses many goal-scoring chances, he still creates numerous opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net.
Hasselbaink said:
“I love Isak; I think he’s magnificent. Then you have Haaland, but you’re not going to get him. Then there are other strikers outside of England.
“Like Osimhen—I know he’s your countryman—but I’m not convinced that he’ll perform in the English Premier League. If it were in Spain or Italy, I’d say yes. But in the Premier League? I’m not 100% sure.
“I really like Jackson, and people think I’m crazy, but I like him because he brings a lot of energy into the team, and people don’t see that. The pressing from the front, the work rate—all those things are important for the progress of the team.
“He gets lots of chances, but for me, I’d rather have a striker who gets lots of chances than one who doesn’t.
“So, first of all, he’s getting chances. Now we can work on his finishing, make him calmer, and help him understand.”
According to Hasselbaink, nobody knew Nicolas Jackson before he started playing for Spanish La Liga club Villarreal, and considering he is still only 23 years old, he has a lot of room to grow.
“Let’s not forget—before Villarreal, he was playing nowhere. He started at Villarreal, and now he’s here. And he’s still very young, 23.
“Out of 10 chances, you’re not going to improve him to score all 10. But if he can score 20% more—say four more—that’s 20 goals per season. Experience will give him that, along with someone to work with him,” he added.
