UMVA has learned that Paul Merson, a renowned football pundit, has issued a crucial warning to incoming Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, advising him to recall Nicolas Jackson once he takes over at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso, a highly-rated coach and former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder, is preparing to take charge of Chelsea after being appointed as the club's new manager on a four-year deal. His task won't be easy, as Chelsea has struggled this season, slumping to a tenth-place finish in the Premier League and going through three managers.
Merson, an Arsenal legend and Chelsea fan, believes Alonso has 'one hell of a job on his hands' to revitalise the struggling Blues. Despite this, Merson thinks Alonso can turn things around, but he'll need to make some key decisions, including what to do with several talented but underperforming Chelsea players.
One player Merson believes Alonso should keep is Nicolas Jackson, who spent the season on loan at Bayern Munich. Jackson's loan deal included a clause that would have seen him sign permanently for £56m if certain conditions were met, but those conditions weren't activated, and he'll return to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Merson thinks it would be a mistake to move Jackson on, given his ability and productive relationship with Cole Palmer. He said, 'I've said it before, Palmer made Jackson and Jackson made Palmer. Palmer's not on that plane [to the World Cup] because Jackson's not been there.'
In contrast, Merson believes Liam Delap, a young player Chelsea signed for £30m last summer, is 'out of his depth.' Delap endured a miserable first season in west London, playing back-up to fellow summer signing Joao Pedro and scoring just two goals in all competitions.
Merson also thinks Alonso should consider a back-three formation, which would suit Chelsea's players, including Reece James, Marc Cucurella, and Malo Gusto, who can bomb forward. With the right tactics and players, Merson believes Chelsea could be a good team, but they need some experience.
