Why Bournemouth should eye cut-price Kayden Jackson swoop in January
Back in September, a report from Sky Sports (h/t East Anglian Daily Times) claimed that Bournemouth had a bid in the region of £2m knocked back by Ipswich Town for striker Kayden Jackson. Peterborough United and Coventry City were also understood to be interested in a move for the 26-year-old but he ended up staying put at Portman Road.
Profile
Born in Bradford, Kayden Jackson started his youth career at hometown club Bradford City but was released after suffering a back injury. He earned a contract with Swindon Town but never made a competitive appearance.
The 26-year-old played for Swindon Supermarine, Oxford City, Tamworth, and Wrexham in the non-league arena before joining Barnsley. Jackson eventually shot to prominence with a 15-goal season for Accrington Stanley in League Two, which earned him a switch to the second tier with Ipswich Town in the summer of 2018.
Jackson, though, managed only 3 goals and 2 assists in 36 Championship appearances during the 2018-19 season as the Tractor Boys suffered relegation from the second tier. But, he redeemed himself with a prolific campaign in League One last time around, registering 11 goals and 7 assists in 32 league appearances for Paul Lambert’s side.
Jackson would add more depth to the Cherries’ attack
Bournemouth are currently second in the EFL Championship, just a point behind leaders Norwich City, having made an impressive start to the season. The south coast outfit have scored 29 goals in 16 league fixtures so far while conceding 16 in the process.
Those numbers clearly prove that Bournemouth have done well at both ends of the pitch. But with the January window less than four weeks away, manager Jason Tindall should still look to freshen up things by adding some new faces to the squad.
Indeed, Bournemouth haven’t been short of goals in the Championship this season, thanks to Dominic Solanke’s exploits up top. Sam Surridge and Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld have also chipped in with some useful goal contributions, helping the Cherries build a strong platform to launch a promotion bid at the first time of asking.
However, with star man Joshua King’s contract set to expire next summer and the Norwegian yet to commit his future at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth might eventually be forced to cash in on him in January to avoid losing him for free.
A potential departure for King midway through the campaign would necessitate the Cherries to bring in some immediate cover, with fixtures set to come thick and fast in the coming months.
Putting things into context, Bournemouth making a renewed attempt to sign Kayden Jackson in January would go a long way towards helping them cope with life after King’s departure. The 26-year-old impressed at Ipswich Town in League One last season with his ability to score and create goals but has been frozen out of the mix at Portman Road this term due to his unresolved contract situation.
With Jackson’s contract set to expire next summer, the door remains pretty much open for Bournemouth to lure him to the south coast for a knockdown price during the mid-season trading period. The Bradford-born striker would offer something different to the Cherries’ ranks with his searing pace, thus potentially providing Solanke and Surridge with quality competition for places.
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Verdict
Despite sailing smoothly in the Championship so far, Bournemouth must make themselves aware of market opportunities to add more depth to their squad in January.
Kayden Jackson might not have thrived in the second tier earlier in his career but his exploits in League One should be enough to warrant him another shot at this level. That said, the Cherries completing a cut-price swoop for the Ipswich striker would be a smart piece of business.
