Thierry Henry names Chelsea player who is “on his way” to becoming the real deal, and it’s not who you think | OneFootball

Premier League legend Thierry Henry has praised Nicolas Jackson and believes the striker is on the road to becoming the “real deal.”

The Blues have made a brilliant start to the season and currently sit second just four points behind Liverpool, whilst they are four points clear of Arsenal in third.

Enzo Maresca’s men have exceeded expectations so far this season and the Italian has been able to improve a number of players.

Henry praises Jackson

The Blues are the top scorers in the league with 37 goals, which is just one less than they managed in the whole of the 2022/2023 season, whilst they currently have the joint third best defensive record.

Cole Palmer has been taking the plaudits, but the likes of Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Jackson have really stepped up.

Jackson arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2023 and impressed in his debut season scoring 14 Premier League goals, but was widely criticised for the amount of chances he missed.

The Blues were actively looking to sign a striker in the summer having pursued Victor Osimhen for the majority of the window, but Jackson’s start to the season has shown that wasn’t a bad thing.

Jackson has scored nine Premier League goals this season.

The 23-year-old has nine goals and three assists from 15 league games and admitted he likes hearing criticism as it helps him on the pitch.

Jackson has impressed people this season, with Darren Bent claiming he’s perfect for how Chelsea play, whilst Henry was also full of praise for the Senegalese.

“He’s on his way to being that [the real deal] but it’s a long road,” he told Sky Sports Monday Night Football.

“One thing that is difficult when you play for a club like Chelsea and teams who are at the top is that you get compared to who was there before.

“And maybe you’re not the same kind of striker, you’re a different striker, but you’re going to get compared to Drogba.

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“I do think that what they’re doing is remarkable and we were saying before the show, I’m not having a go at the Conference League but they’re playing a different team there, they’re really focusing on the league and that is a massive plus.”

Jackson is on track to surpass his goal total from last season and if he keeps up his good form and stays fit he could score 20 league goals which would be quite some feat.