Tottenham Eye Nicolas Jackson as Gakpo Pursuit Stalls

Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as one of three clubs keeping a close eye on Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson as the transfer window heads into its final stretch.

French journalist Fabrice Hawkins reports that Spurs, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid are all monitoring the Senegal international, viewing him as a potential option should other attacking targets slip away.

A rumour that won’t go away

Talk of Tottenham’s interest in Jackson first surfaced a couple of weeks ago in the Mail, which claimed the club were considering a move. That story was swiftly dismissed by several well-connected English reporters, among them Alasdair Gold, and the idea seemed to cool.

This latest line feels different. Hawkins has built a reputation as a reliable voice, particularly when it comes to French football and players from the wider Francophone sphere, and his report has pushed Jackson’s name back into the frame.

Chelsea’s price is understood to be around £60m. It is a hefty fee, but still below the £70m Liverpool are said to be seeking for Cody Gakpo. Jackson is also three years younger than the Dutchman and, crucially for Spurs, a natural centre-forward.

Plan B taking shape

Tottenham’s hierarchy remain focused on Savinho and Gakpo as their primary attacking priorities this summer. That hasn’t changed.

The problem sits elsewhere. PSG are demanding a huge sum from Liverpool for Bradley Barcola. If the Anfield club cannot land Barcola, they are unlikely to sanction Gakpo’s departure. That domino has to fall for Spurs’ top plan to work.

So the recruitment team are preparing for the scenario in which it doesn’t. Jackson, as things stand, looks like part of that contingency. Hawkins’ £60m figure is actually slightly lower than the £65m quoted in the Mail’s earlier reporting, hinting that Chelsea’s stance might not be quite as immovable as first thought.

An unpopular move that might make sense

Jackson arrives with baggage in north London for one simple reason: he plays for Chelsea and he scores against Spurs. That alone will make some Tottenham supporters bristle.

Strip away the badge, though, and the profile is intriguing. Jackson underperforms his xG, which frustrates coaches and analysts alike, but he consistently finds shooting positions inside the box. For a side that wants volume and quality of chances, that matters.

Drop him into a possession-heavy, front-foot system like Roberto De Zerbi’s and the logic strengthens. A mobile, direct striker who stretches defences, creates chaos and gets on the end of cut-backs is exactly the kind of forward that structure can amplify.

Tottenham would not be buying the finished article. They would be betting £60m on upside, on age, on athleticism and on the belief that sharper finishing can be coached.

If the first goal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium arrives early, the initial resistance from the stands would not last long.

For now, though, Jackson remains on the second tier of Tottenham’s attacking shortlist — a live option, but a backup. The real question is whether Liverpool, PSG and the Barcola–Gakpo chain force Spurs to reach for that Plan B before the window slams shut.