John Obi-Mikel has demanded that Chelsea sign a ‘top striker’ after slamming Nicolas Jackson’s performance against Manchester City.
Chelsea lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic, with new manager Enzo Maresca unable to get off to a winning start.
The Blues were largely second best to the Citizens but did create some good chances to score and did find the back of the net in the first-half courtesy of Jackson.
The Senegal forward tapped home after Cole Palmer’s effort was spilled by Ederson but the flag was up for a clear offside.
Discussing the moment, Chelsea legend Obi-Mikel was scathing of Jackson and once again reiterated that his former club was lacking a world-class goal scorer.
‘We created chances, we haven’t taken them. And just an example of how Jackson finishes,’ the exasperated former midfielder said on beIN Sports.
‘You can see there, even though he was offside, he dribbles past one or two or three players and the way he shot the ball!
‘You need a striker who knows how to hit a ball back in the back of the net and that’s what we don’t have. I know I talk so much about him and sometimes I sound like I disrespect him. I don’t disrespect him.
‘I think at Chelsea Football Club we need a top striker who can get us a goal. A bit like [Haaland], 91 goals [for City] that’s absolutely unbelievable.’
Obi-Mikel recently revealed that he was in contact with fellow Nigerian Victor Osimhen in an attempt to convince the prolific striker to move from Napoli to Chelsea, with the club in talks over a deal.
City icon Micah Richards agrees that Jackson, who scored 17 goals in 44 games last season, isn’t at the elite level yet, saying on Sky Sports: ‘When Chelsea had their big moments – is Jackson a top striker?
‘Last season I really liked him but in the key moments… I’m saying the exact same things today. Two chances [he missed] – one where he shouldn’t have been offside.
‘He just gambled too early, and the other one was a difficult chance but a top striker would have put it either side of Ederson. These are the things he needs to get better at if he wants to be a top striker.’
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