Nicolas Jackson potential shirt numbers at Chelsea
By Sean Walsh
Chelsea fans have been scarred by star strikers taking on their number nine shirt.
Can you really blame them? When it's seen forwards like Mateja Kezman, Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao, Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fail (and also disgraced by defender Khalid Boulahrouz and midfielder Steve Sidwell), you wouldn't help but believe in bad luck and misfortune.
Luckily for the Blues, their newest striker - Nicolas Jackson, who's on the verge of completing his move from Villarreal - is unable to take that number as Aubameyang is still at the club. Well, for the time being anyway.
Here are the numbers that will be available to Jackson.
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Nicolas Jackson shirt number history
Despite only recently turning 22, Jackson has worn quite a few shirt numbers in his short career.
During a loan spell at Mirandes as a teenager, Jackson was handed the number 22. Upon returning to Villarreal's B team, he took the 18 shirt.
He was promoted into Unai Emery's first team in 2021. La Liga rules stipulate that senior players must be assigned a number between 1 and 25, but those coming from the reserve and youth sides are free to have anything from 26 upwards.
Jackson initially wore the number 26 for the first team before being assigned the 15 shirt.
With the Senegal national team, Jackson has worn the numbers 7 and 9.
Chelsea available shirt numbers
The following numbers are currently vacant at Chelsea: 2, 3, 7, 11, 20, 25, 26, 34, 35 and 37 upwards (except 67, which is taken by Lewis Hall).
In addition, the imminent sales of Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz will free up the numbers 8, 16, 22 and 29.
Jackson has previously worn the unfilled 7 and 26.
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