According to a report by Metro on Friday, October 30, 2026, Ian Wright has questioned Chelsea’s decision to sell Nicolas Jackson following the striker’s impressive start at Aston Villa, where he has quickly become an important player under Unai Emery.

The former Arsenal and England forward believes Jackson always had the qualities needed to become a successful Premier League striker, despite his struggles in front of goal at Stamford Bridge.

Jackson joined Aston Villa from Chelsea in a £65m summer transfer and has already scored seven goals in 11 appearances for the Midlands club.

The Senegal international initially made a strong impression after joining Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023, scoring 17 goals across all competitions in his first season.

However, his performances dropped during the 2024-25 campaign, prompting Chelsea to send him on loan to Bayern Munich last season.

Bayern paid £14m for the loan deal, which included a further £56m permanent transfer clause subject to certain conditions, including a required number of appearances.

Jackson struggled to secure regular playing time behind Harry Kane and eventually returned to Chelsea before completing his move to Aston Villa.

Speaking on The Overlap, Manchester United legend Gary Neville praised the 25-year-old's improvement.

"Is Nicolas Jackson the most improved player in the Premier League?" Neville asked.

He added: "I always thought he would be a good signing for someone because he’s a handful, I would hate to play against him. I do like him."

Wright also expressed his happiness with Jackson's progress, suggesting that the striker has gained significant confidence since leaving Chelsea.

"I'm delighted for him," Wright said.

"When you watched him at Chelsea, yes he missed chances but everything else about his game… the way he makes runs, plays on the shoulder, his touch… you knew that if he could just start nicking some goals, he would be fine."

Wright further suggested that Jackson could enjoy a successful spell at Villa if he continues performing at his current level.

Meanwhile, Emery has praised the striker's physical strength, tactical contribution and improved finishing following his two-goal performance against Manchester City.

Jackson's impressive return to form comes as Chelsea continue to deal with an injury setback involving Joao Pedro, who has missed their last two matches.