Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson has been identified as a key transfer target by both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, according to sensational reports in Spain.

The Senegal international has been heavily linked with a summer transfer following the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at Stamford Bridge, and his own reckless behaviour in recent weeks.

Jackson has been sent off on two occasions in his last five Chelsea appearances, while he has only scored four goals since the start of 2025, with three of them coming in the Europa Conference League.

Pedro was selected ahead of the 24-year-old during Chelsea’s Club World Cup semi-final against Fluminense on Tuesday, with Delap absent through suspension, and the Brazilian netted two fantastic goals to earn the Blues a crucial 2-0 victory.

Jackson, meanwhile, flattered to deceive during his time on the pitch as a substitute, with the Senegal star notably missing a guilt-edged chance when passing to Cole Palmer appeared to be the better option.

FootballTransfers understands that and have both expressed their interest in a possible move for Jackson over the past few months, and Fichajes have now revealed that Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are interested in acquiring his services.

The Spanish outlet claim that Diego Simeone’s side have “set their sights” on completing a deal for Jackson, while Barcelona are reportedly eyeing a potential loan deal amid their pursuit of a new centre forward.

Chelsea reportedly value Jackson at roughly €50 million, which is substantially below his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV), and they are open to a departure this summer as they look to balance the books through a number of player sales.

Despite Jackson’s poor form, the arrival of Delap and Pedro’s fantastic start to life at Chelsea, John Obi Mikel believes that Maresca should keep the ex-Villarreal striker at the club.

“It is important we have competition in the team, it is very important when you play for a big club and you are competing for trophies and that is what we have got now,” Mikel told DAZN.

“Three good strikers competing for one position. With Delap and Joao, that competition is going to push the players to go extra hard.

“But I still think Jackson has a big part to play, he just needs to sort out himself in terms of discipline and what he wants to do here. But I just think with his performance here today, Joao and Delap are probably ahead of him right now.”

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By Ross Jackson

Assuming three important factors are true, the New Orleans Saints should absolutely look to sign veteran offensive lineman and former LSU Tiger La’el Collins.

Collins said the he and Saints head coach Kellen Moore have spoken and teased the potential of returning to Louisiana as a member of the Saints. Should that come to fruition, it would be more than a good story for New Orleans.

Yes, the fact that he’s a Baton Rouge native and played at LSU are all great stories. But beyond the Louisiana connection, he would provide this team something that it would have loved to have had last year: quality veteran depth.

The three things that need to be true are simple:

Point No. 3 he addressed already in his conversation with After Further Review host Matt Moscona.

“I’m 100 percent,” he said. “I can finally say that, and feeling really good.”

After spending a year with the Dallas Cowboys on their practice squad, Collins signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. After not making the initial 53-man roster, he then got time to focus on his health and football future. With him now being rested and healed up, welcoming him in to training camp could end up being a wise move by New Orleans.

The requirement of accepting a one-year deal is just business. Collins hasn’t made an active roster game appearance since 2022 with the Cincinnati Bengals.

As he looks to land a spot with his next team, the Saints should look closely at the addition for at least training camp and as a potential veteran practice squad member or active roster depth piece beyond that.

If nothing else, getting a look at him in July or August could become specifically beneficial in October, November or December should the Saints need to manage any attrition on the offensive line come the latter part of the season. Having an updated, first-hand look at a veteran player could come in handy later on in the year should signings or additions be necessary.

This should be a no-brainer for the Saints, assuming there is truly mutual interest between the two parties.

Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson has been identified as a key transfer target by both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, according to sensational reports in Spain.

The Senegal international has been heavily linked with a summer transfer following the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at Stamford Bridge, and his own reckless behaviour in recent weeks.

Jackson has been sent off on two occasions in his last five Chelsea appearances, while he has only scored four goals since the start of 2025, with three of them coming in the Europa Conference League.

Pedro was selected ahead of the 24-year-old during Chelsea’s Club World Cup semi-final against Fluminense on Tuesday, with Delap absent through suspension, and the Brazilian netted two fantastic goals to earn the Blues a crucial 2-0 victory.

Jackson, meanwhile, flattered to deceive during his time on the pitch as a substitute, with the Senegal star notably missing a guilt-edged chance when passing to Cole Palmer appeared to be the better option.

FootballTransfers understands that Arsenal and Manchester United have both expressed their interest in a possible move for Jackson over the past few months, and Fichajes have now revealed that Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are interested in acquiring his services.

The Spanish outlet claim that Diego Simeone’s side have “set their sights” on completing a deal for Jackson, while Barcelona are reportedly eyeing a potential loan deal amid their pursuit of a new centre forward.

Chelsea reportedly value Jackson at roughly €50 million, which is substantially below his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV), and they are open to a departure this summer as they look to balance the books through a number of player sales.

Chelsea to keep Nicolas Jackson?

Despite Jackson’s poor form, the arrival of Delap and Pedro’s fantastic start to life at Chelsea, John Obi Mikel believes that Maresca should keep the ex-Villarreal striker at the club.

“It is important we have competition in the team, it is very important when you play for a big club and you are competing for trophies and that is what we have got now,” Mikel told DAZN.

“Three good strikers competing for one position. With Delap and Joao, that competition is going to push the players to go extra hard.

“But I still think Jackson has a big part to play, he just needs to sort out himself in terms of discipline and what he wants to do here. But I just think with his performance here today, Joao and Delap are probably ahead of him right now.”

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Los Angeles Sparks star Rickea Jackson hasn't played in her team's past two games because of what was called "personal" reasons.

Jackson's sudden, unexplained absence, combined with her coming off of the bench and struggling to find a solid role with her team (and its new head coach Lynne Roberts) this season, prompted speculation on social media about why Jackson is sidelined, and whether it's an indication that she isn't happy about her place with the team.

Jackson spoke with the media on June 3 and set the record straight about several things that have surfaced on social media.

When asked about her situation with the team, Jackson said, "I mean, we're here to win. Personal time was needed, concussion, lingering things... but just happy to be back with my team," per an X post from @RJacksonReport.

She was then asked about how she handles rumors swirling about her absence, and she said, "You've just got to be realistic with yourself. Like, at the end of the day, media isn't about facts anymore... so that's just the media. Just taking it with a grain of salt, and not being gullible."

"Whatever sounds the juiciest, that's what people want to go with. Like, I'm pregnant, apparently," Jackson continued in a mocking tone. One speculation thread on social media was that Jackson's absences were because she was pregnant, which was not tied to any credible source and was rooted in sheer rumor.

"Media is the media. I've never followed any team I've played for since AAU. I like to follow real people. But you know, rumors are rumors," she added. Fans also noted that Jackson (allegedly) unfollowed the Los Angeles Sparks on Instagram and removed them from her bio.

When asked about her relationship with the Sparks' coaching staff, Jackson added, "Yeah, it's growing. Everything is new here. New system, new everything. So it takes time, but chemistry is built in time."

Props to Jackson for being willing to address all of this head on.

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Last season, the Los Angeles Sparks returned from the break riding high on some international bling – Dearica Hamby came back with a 3×3 bronze, Stephanie Talbot had one too from her 5×5 run with Australia, and head coach Curt Miller came back with gold from Team USA’s 5×5 triumph. But well, none of that momentum followed them into the W. Out of all, the only shining spot was then-rookie Rickea Jackson. She exceeded even the most hyped projections. But, currently happening is making everyone question: Has her time already come to an end in LA?

You know what, this season was supposed to be different. The Sparks came in laser-focused on one thing: winning. After a rough 2024 with just eight wins, they hit reset with new head coach Lynne Roberts and a starry core of Hamby, Jackson, Cameron Brink, and Kelsey Plum. A perfect blend of youth and experience. So, everything was lining up to finally break the playoff drought that’s haunted LA since Candace Parker left town. No playoffs since 2020 has been a tough pill to swallow, but things were looking up. And then came the injuries.

Brink and Rae Burrell were both already out with knee injuries, and just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, Rickea Jackson went down too. In the season opener against the Minnesota Lynx, she collided with Alanna Smith chasing a loose ball late in the third quarter. She stayed down for a long time, and even though she managed to walk to the bench on her own, she didn’t come back for the rest of the game.

She finally returned to action on May 27 vs. Atlanta after entering concussion protocol on May 18. But it didn’t look great. She played just 12 minutes, went 0-of-3 from the floor, and grabbed just one rebound. After the loss, she looked visibly emotional. And then came the real shocker. In the next game against the Aces, Jackson was ruled “NWT” (Not With Team) due to personal reasons. Now, any time a player misses a game for something other than an injury or suspension, fans panic. This was no different.

But it gets messier.

Fans noticed she had unfollowed the LA Sparks on Instagram and even scrubbed them from her bio. That definitely raised some eyebrows. While that might not confirm anything, it does add to the cloud of mystery. Meanwhile, Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts tried to calm the storm, saying, “She is a big part of our organisation, our team. She is taking personal time and we support her and we are excited to get her back when she’ll be ready.” Still, you can’t blame fans for wondering what’s really going on.

If- and that’s a big if – she’s planning to leave, that’s a massive blow to the Sparks. Jackson was averaging 13.4 points and nearly 4 rebounds last season. This year, it has dipped to 7.0 points and 3 boards. Sure, it’s been a rough start for the second-year forward, but LA fans still believe in her long-term upside.

Plus, Rickea’s not just about stats. She’s part of the team’s culture. At media day, she was one of the players mentioned in that fun little debate over who was the goofiest on the roster. That vibe, that energy…it matters. And right now, the Sparks need every ounce of it as they prep for a rare stretch of practice time. They don’t hit the court again until Friday, June 6, when they face the Dallas Wings on the road. So, till then, we wait. Maybe it’s just personal time. Maybe it’s something more. But for now, her teammate has also got a “little” update.

Rickea Jackson’s breakthrough nears as Sparks await a full house

Sparks fans, there’s finally a flicker of hope on the horizon. While Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and the rest of the top-tier 2024 draft class have been soaking up the spotlight, one name we haven’t heard enough lately is Cameron Brink. But the defensive phenom, who went No. 2 right after Clark, is slowly inching her way back.

Brink turned heads at Stanford with her 14.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and a national-best 3.7 blocks per game. But just as her rookie campaign with L.A. was starting to take shape, an ACL tear after only 15 games cut her season short last June. At the time, she was averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 boards, and 1.7 assists.

Since her surgery in July, fans have been waiting (and refreshing Twitter) for updates. And this weekend, Brink finally gave one..sort of. Asked by Spectrum SportsNet how things were going, she smiled, praised the Sparks’ support system, and dropped the most hope-filled line we’ve heard in a while. “It’s gonna take a little bit until I’m back out there, but it’s feeling good,” she said.

Mentally, though, Brink’s already done the work. “You learn the power of attitude and resilience,” she said. “I’ve grown a lot. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve got great people in my corner. Grit, for sure.” So, when exactly will we see her back? No official date yet. But the tone definitely feels like a return is weeks, not months away. Let’s hope that happens soon and LA gets its full arsenal back. All eyes are now on Rickea Jackson.