Gary Cahill sends transfer message to Chelsea after Nicolas Jackson double against West Ham

Gary Cahill reserved special praise for Nicolas Jackson following Chelsea’s 3-0 win over West Ham and suggested the club may no longer need to dip into transfer market for a proven centre-forward.

Jackson scored twice inside the opening 18 minutes before assisting Cole Palmer at the start of the second half to inspire the Blues to a third successive victory on the road in the Premier League.

The Senegal international was named man of the match for his super all-round performance and will no doubt look to continue his promising start to the campaign at home to Brighton next weekend.

Across a mixed debut season at Stamford Bridge, Jackson proved a decisive figure among Chelsea fans, with the forward lacking consistency despite racking up 14 goals and five assists in the English top flight.

But their are signs Jackson may have turned a corner and former Chelsea captain Cahill applauded the 23-year-old for silencing his doubters while analysing the London derby on NBC Sports.

‘He’s a young boy, he’s still learning,’ Cahill said.

‘I liked his game today for a number of reasons: his finishes and the two goals that he scored, of course, but I liked the way he was willing to run in behind, he was dropping deep at times to link up the play.

‘I thought his all-round play was superb.

‘He looks a confident boy so I don’t think that noise around him will bother him too much and it’s all about doing his talking on the pitch.

‘His numbers are looking good at the moment.’

Chelsea were credited with an interest in a number of strikers across the summer and missed out on a deal to sign Victor Osimhen before the deadline, with the Nigerian instead completing a loan move from Napoli to Galatasaray.

But Cahill believes Jackson is beginning to prove to Enzo Maresca that he can be the focal point of Chelsea’s attack for the long-term.

Asked whether Chelsea need to return to the transfer market for a centre-forward, Cahill replied: ‘I think there’s a long way to go and obviously that No.9 shirt is very heavy.

‘But he’s doing fantastically well and with the attacking options that they have as well, you saw today the bench: they have options there in all the attacking areas.

‘So no, I think he’s more than capable of taking that No.9 shirt and running with it.

‘Staying fit and healthy is key but going back to his numbers, he’s done superbly.’

Cahill was pleased to see Maresca’s players ‘working for each other’ as Chelsea picked up their first win at the London Stadium since 2021.

‘I was very impressed with the performance today, throughout the whole team,’ the ex-England centre-back added.

‘They were organised defensively, it was a professional performance.

‘I saw a team working for each other which was great and I thought Nicolas Jackson was superb today for his two goals.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.