Mikel challenges Jackson to 'shut me up with goals'

Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has challenged Ivorian striker Nicolas Jackson to shut him up with his goals.

“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,” Mikel said this on Monday on the Obi One Podcast in reaction to Jackson hitting back at him via a post on his Instagram account.

“You know if he scores every week and tells me to shut up, I will take that.”

The ex-Nigeria international criticised Jackson for lack of end product in front of goal and suggested that Chelsea needed an upgrade – a top striker the Ivorian can learn from.

Mikel had also hinted that Jackson was not the right man to lead the Blues’ attack after their 2-0 loss to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in their first Premier League match of the season.

“You need a striker who knows how to hit a ball in the back of the net. That’s what we don’t have,” Mikel had said in his post-match analysis.

“I know I talk so much about it and sometimes I sound like I disrespect him, but I don’t disrespect him. I think we need a top striker who can get us goals.

“To get a striker who scores goals. Jackson, yes, he does a little bit here and there, but we need a top striker like we did back in our day. Didier Drogba. We knew if you give him two or three chances he will score one.”

Jackson after scoring and making an assist in Chelsea’s 6-2 mauling of Wolverhampton Wanderers in Sunday’s Premier League game at the Molineux fired back at Mikel on IG.

“Shut your mouth, don’t talk s***, we are killing ourselves for Africa,” the Blues and Senegal striker clapped back at Mikel.

Mikel added that he likes Jackson but feels that there are elements of his game that he needs to improve on.

“I really like the guy as a football player. I like him. There’s something there as a football player. You know, I haven’t said that he’s a bad player at all. I’ve just said that his finishing qualities are not there yet,” the Chelsea legend explained.

“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. Because we all know, we all can see the shift he puts in week in, week out.

“So for me, I would like to see my African brother, like he said, 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 would like to see him do well as well.”