Former England star Darren Bent baffled by Chelsea’s decision to offload Nicolas Jackson

Former England international Darren Bent has questioned Chelsea’s decision to offload Nicolas Jackson, insisting the Premier League club made a mistake by allowing the Senegalese striker to leave.

Jackson has enjoyed an impressive resurgence at Aston Villa this season, rediscovering his goalscoring form under Unai Emery after difficult spells at Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

The 25-year-old has quickly become an important figure in Emery’s attacking setup, scoring six goals and providing one assist in nine Premier League starts. He has also found the net three times in four UEFA Champions League appearances, taking his tally to nine goals across both competitions.

His impressive performances have prompted Bent to question why Chelsea were willing to part ways with a striker whose pace, movement and work rate could still have offered the club valuable attacking options.

The former Tottenham Hotspur forward believes Jackson’s tendency to miss scoring opportunities should not have overshadowed his ability to consistently find himself in dangerous positions and trouble opposition defenders.

Speaking about the striker’s transformation at Villa, Bent admitted he never understood Chelsea’s decision to let him go, particularly given his previous understanding with Cole Palmer.

“I think the manager, Unai Emery, has a big part to play in that. He knows Jackson really well from Villarreal and really likes him. I always found it really bizarre that Chelsea let him go,” Bent said.

“I always thought Chelsea needed to keep hold of him because, yes, he might miss a lot of chances and he’s not the most prolific, but he always gets into the right positions. He always works hard, and that pace he’s got is always going to be a threat.”

Bent further argued that Chelsea could have benefited from retaining Jackson, especially considering the club’s attacking situation and the injury absence of Joao Pedro.

He also pointed to Cole Palmer’s impressive numbers when playing alongside the Senegalese striker, suggesting their partnership was another reason Chelsea should have kept him.

At Aston Villa, Jackson has wasted little time in demonstrating his qualities, with Bent impressed by how seamlessly he has fitted into Emery’s system.

Although the former England international believes Ollie Watkins remains the better centre-forward in the long term, he insists Jackson’s performances have ensured there has been no significant drop-off in Villa’s attacking threat following the change.

Bent also highlighted the striker’s improved composure in front of goal, noting that he now appears calmer when presented with scoring opportunities.

His movement, ability to exploit spaces behind defensive lines and contribution to Villa’s attacking combinations have further strengthened his reputation.

Bent believes Jackson’s current performances make him one of the standout loan acquisitions of the campaign, despite his previous struggles at Stamford Bridge and Bayern Munich.

“I think he’s been brilliant. I think, so far this season, you have to say Jackson’s been one of the bargains of the season, even though he’s on loan,” he added.

Jackson will now be hoping to maintain his impressive goalscoring form when Aston Villa face Sunderland in their next Premier League fixture.

A victory could move Emery’s side into the league’s top six, providing further momentum as they look to strengthen their position in the competition.