Chelsea’s decision to sell Nicolas Jackson to Aston Villa has come under fresh scrutiny after the Senegalese striker scored twice in his new side’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City.

According to a report by The Athletic on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Jackson’s impressive display has raised questions about whether Chelsea were right to part ways with the forward, especially with João Pedro currently unavailable because of injury.

However, there are three major reasons why the decision to sell the 25-year-old could still work in Chelsea’s favour under manager Xabi Alonso.

The first relates to the competition for a starting position in attack. When fully fit, João Pedro is expected to lead Chelsea’s frontline, potentially leaving Jackson struggling for regular playing time.

Both attackers are comfortable dropping into deeper positions to link up with teammates, but Pedro has shown greater efficiency in front of goal. During Jackson’s most productive Premier League season at Chelsea, he scored 14 goals in 2,810 minutes.

Pedro managed one more league goal last season despite playing 136 fewer minutes, suggesting he made better use of his opportunities.

Keeping both players at Stamford Bridge could therefore have created a difficult situation, particularly if Jackson had been expected to accept a supporting role behind the Brazilian.

The second factor is the financial advantage Chelsea gained from the transfer.

The Blues reportedly paid around £30 million to sign Jackson in 2024 before allowing him to join Aston Villa for approximately £65 million. The deal generated a significant profit and provided additional funds that could be used to strengthen other areas of the squad.

Chelsea have also faced financial challenges, including spending part of the summer without a front-of-shirt sponsor. Consequently, generating income through player sales remains an important part of the club’s transfer strategy.

The third issue concerns Jackson’s finishing ability, which has attracted criticism despite his contributions in other areas of the game.

The Senegal international has demonstrated impressive movement, physical strength and an ability to link up with teammates. However, his record in front of goal has raised doubts about whether he can develop into a consistently clinical striker.

According to Understat, Jackson scored 14 Premier League goals during his debut season despite recording an expected goals figure of 19.86. In the following campaign, he managed 10 goals from an expected goals total of 13.83.

Those statistics indicate that he failed to convert several opportunities that could have resulted in more goals.

Although his recent performance against Manchester City has reminded Chelsea supporters of his attacking qualities, the club may still believe that selling him was the right decision financially and tactically.