Nicolas Jackson leaves Chelsea: how the transfer will impact the team and his career.

According to The Sun: Chelsea's relationship with super-negotiator Ali Barakat could be interesting after the situation with Nicolas Jackson.

While Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa expressed their intent to move to new clubs on the last day of the transfer window, Epic Sports CEO Ali Barakat openly voiced his desire to facilitate Jackson's transfer to Bayern.

Ali Barakat of Epic Sports (left) issued a statement regarding his client's move to Bayern

Like Isak and Wissa, Barakat succeeded, as Epic announced impressive sales this summer.

But at what cost - that question still needs an answer.

On the one hand, Jackson claimed he no longer wanted to play for Chelsea, so keeping a player who doesn't feel happy made no sense, as Isak and Wissa demonstrated.

However, leaving 16-year-old Mark Ghiu as a replacement for Joao Pedro after Liam DeLaupa's injury was not something they considered at Stamford Bridge.

Interestingly, Ghiu has never appeared on the pitch in the Premier League and cannot play in the Carabao Cup, having previously played for Sunderland in the second round. It's a miserable compromise solution.

However, Barakat deserves some trust from Chelsea, having helped the club sell four players this summer, marking its most successful sales season.

• Barakat was involved in the sales of Noni Madueke, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Renato Veiga for a total of nearly £100 million.
• He also worked on the loan of defender Aaron Anselmino to Dortmund, which was part of the deal for Chukwuemeka's move to the same club.
• Barakat and Epic also helped Soumaïla Koulibaly move to sister club Strasbourg from Dortmund.

Unlike others, it seems that Chelsea management realized they restricted Barakat in finding Xavi Simons.

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Over the past few weeks, Simons'/Epic's team announced that for the Dutchman it was 'Chelsea or nothing.'

Until Chelsea signed Alejandro Garnacho and shifted attention to Facundo Buonanotte from Brighton.

However, Barakat managed to find a way for his client to sign with Tottenham. Perhaps, this was the plan all along.

Whatever the case, Barakat and Chelsea need to leave the melodrama with Jackson behind.

As his star client, Moisés Caicedo, remained at Chelsea, and that is the player the club definitely does not want to sell anytime soon.

Some members of the BlueCo ownership group are not known for their thick skin.

But in the interest of the collective, they may need to realize that business is business.

TIME WILL TELL

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Ben Chilwell's move to sister club Strasbourg may be an opportunity for the 28-year-old to revitalize his career at a club in the upper echelons of Ligue 1 and the Conference League.

However, any transfer fee must undergo fair value checks from the Premier League and European football governing bodies, which are trying to prevent market manipulation in the multi-club model.

How does that look?

Chilwell could have earned over £8 million had he remained at Chelsea for the next ten months under a £200,000-per-week contract.

Extremely few players outside of Paris Saint-Germain earn such money in the French league.

Of course, there is none of that in Strasbourg, where the total annual salary budget stands at around £16.5 million, with former Southampton forward Sekou Mara as the top earner, making about £25,000 a week.

But should Chilwell agree to a lower salary, especially after how he was treated at Chelsea?

Chilwell will not play for free at Strasbourg, so he might have agreed to compensation that is lower than the full value of his Chelsea contract.

Considering all factors, a figure of £10 million would seem fair for a left-back who missed most of the 2023/24 season due to injury and made just one Premier League start while on loan at Crystal Palace in the second half of last season.

Chilwell gets his payout, and after all’s agreed, Chelsea would also have some profit.

But if the fee exceeds £10 million, questions will arise.

Chilwell's fresh start will include reunions with former Palace friends when Strasbourg meets the Eagles in the Conference League.

Let's not forget about former Chelsea youth player Isha Samuel-Smith.

The 19-year-old left-back joined Strasbourg from Chelsea just a month ago but is now preparing to return across the channel to join Championship club Swansea City on loan.

CALLING THE STUDIO

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Raheem Sterling has made it clear that he does not want anyone making decisions about his future on the last day of transfers, as happened last year.

But Chelsea did not give him a choice.

So, Sterling, 30, will continue to earn £325,000 a week, training separately at Cobham until at least January unless Chelsea offers something radical.

The former England international was on his way to Arsenal when an 11th-hour bid came in a year ago.

This deal did not benefit either party, and Sterling emphasized the need for time to make the right decision this summer.

The Saudi Pro League and MLS did not present suitable options.

The former Manchester City winger is not closing the door on adding to his 82 caps of victory and wants a chance to play regularly for that.

Chelsea’s attitude towards Sterling and other members of the bomb squad has been, to put it mildly, disinterested, and at worst, cruel, effectively rendering them invisible.

However, adherence to the so-called 'squad style', while typical of private investors, stands out among other industries as these players are perceived as commercial commodities.

Much focus has been placed on Sterling’s salary, and in some circles, there is a perceived lack of sympathy towards him.

However, Chelsea’s inability to offer him a serious option this summer, despite having ample time, seems shortsighted and vengeful.

Co-owner Todd Boehly played the role of sporting director when Chelsea made Sterling their first marquee signing of the new era three years ago.

The duration and terms of Sterling’s contract are Boehly's responsibility as well as the club’s, not the player’s.

So they will need to make an effort to find a solution.

WHERE ARE YOU, ROMEO?

Instagram @Lavizzy

“BURNER” on social media is becoming increasingly popular among professional footballers, and Romeo Lavia from Chelsea is one example.

His verified Instagram account boasts an impressive 732,000 followers but he has a lesser-known, more personal account with over 8,000 followers.

The profile titled “@Lavizzy” gives insight into the rehabilitation of the injured player, as well as fashion shots.

And perhaps controversially for a Chelsea star, he revealed his admiration for a former Tottenham player.

Lavia's last post on August 31 showed him watching the Champions League draw on his laptop, doing crosses on the training field at Cobham, and watching videos of former Spurs midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

The video on YouTube was titled “Tanguy Ndombele Just Loves to Beat the Press.”

Lavia's ability to control the ball is crucial for Enzo Maresca's team to overcome opponents' pressing.

The injured Belgian midfielder will not be selected for the squad immediately after the international break, as he continues to work with specialists, hoping to return fully like Reece James.

Instagram - @Lavizzy

LOVE AND APPRECIATION

September is often the easiest month for football, both on and off the pitch.

It’s the time of transfer closures, the return of European competitions, and the emergence of top games for every football fan with a games console: EAFC, formerly known as FIFA.

Player ratings in the game are always taken seriously, not least by the stars themselves.

So far, ratings have not been officially announced, but they seem to have already leaked.

According to information that is usually reliable, Chelsea’s highest-rated players might be Cole Palmer and Moisés Caicedo, who could feature a rating of 87/99.

Many fans feel that Palmer deserves a higher rating, given that Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, and Florian Wirtz have higher ratings than the Chelsea star.

As for the Blues, Palmer and Caicedo follow Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez with a rating of 84, while Reece James received 81, and Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill, and Andre Santos received 80 each.

New superstar player Estevan makes his debut in this series, having been an unknown in last year’s version, and received a rating of 78, which is a strong start for the 18-year-old player.

Ratings will officially be released on September 8.

ELECTRIC ESTEVA

Snapchat - Calvin Basi Alamy

Playing against Estevan Wiliam in the Premier League could be a tough test for any defender, if we are to believe the words of Calvin Basi from Fulham.

In his first Premier League start at Stamford Bridge, the Brazilian Estevan consistently attacked Basi.

Nigerian defender Basi shared his thoughts on the Chelsea player on Snapchat.

A fan asked him about the game against Estevan, to which he replied: 'Bro, he went past me twice, I was 'boiled.'

Estevan is still waiting for his first goal in the Premier League, and he came close against Fulham; however, his shot was weak and easy for Bernd Leno.

However, given his form, a goal in upcoming matches against Brentford or Manchester United would not be a surprise.

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