Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has addressed comments made by current Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson following recent criticisms from Mikel.
Mikel, who represented Chelsea from 2006 to 2017, had earlier criticized Jackson's finishing abilities after Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City. Speaking on beIN Sports, Mikel noted, "We've played OK, we haven't played perfect, but we've played OK. We created chances, we haven't taken them. And it's just an example of how Jackson finishes."
In response, Jackson, who scored in Chelsea's 6-2 win over Wolves, took to Instagram to tell Mikel to "shut your mouth," signaling his displeasure with the former player's remarks.
Addressing the situation on The Obi One podcast, Mikel clarified his position, expressing respect for Jackson and his performance. "I really like the guy as a football player. I like him. There's something there as a football player," Mikel said. "I haven't said that he's a bad player at all. I've just said that his finishing qualities, it's not there yet."
Mikel emphasized that Jackson's development could benefit from the presence of a more experienced striker at Chelsea. He added, "He's a young boy and all I've said is that he needs a more experienced striker to come into the football club to help him, to help him improve, to help him get better."
The former midfielder expressed a desire to see Jackson succeed, stating, "I would like to see my African brother do well in the Premier League, come to Chelsea, a big club, a massive club where we've had one of the greatest strikers in Didier Drogba from Africa. I’d like to see him do well as well in the club."
Mikel concluded by saying, "If he plays well I will praise him. If there is something to be said about him, where he needs to improve, I will definitely say it. If he scores every week and tells me to shut up, I'll take that. You know what I mean?"
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