Chelsea: Nicolas Jackson can prove Blues wrong with Bayern Munich
Jackson joined Bayern Munich on deadline day for a £14.3m loan fee – close to a world record amount for a temporary deal – with a conditional obligation to buy for £56.2m.
Only the loan moves that took Alvaro Morata from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid and then from the Spanish club to Juventus commanded bigger fees.
However, according to widespread German media reports, the conditions to make the loan deal permanent are difficult to meet.
Uli Hoeness, the former striker who is an influential figure on Bayern’s board, told Sky Germany during the international break: “He won’t play 40 games from the start.
“We still have 32 Bundesliga games. If we reach the Champions League final, which we hope we will, that adds 13 games. The total is 45 games.
“The DFB Pokal [German Cup] games do not count. So he would have to start all these games. He will go to the Africa Cup of Nations in January, so he can’t start 40 games.”
Further clarification has been given that any appearance of 45 minutes or more would count as a “start” for Jackson.
Hoeness also claimed Jackson’s Epic Sport agency, led by Ali Barat, paid the extra £1.3m added to the loan fee by Chelsea in the 48 hours before deadline, while leaving open the possibility that the Senegal striker could return to west London next summer.
When asked about the arrangement at his unveiling press conference, Jackson said: “It’s not my decision, my job is just to play on the pitch, make my team win and score as many goals. My focus is only on trying to win big things.”
Regardless, Chelsea are pleased with the finances involved and such a high loan fee could incentivise Bayern to buy Jackson next summer.
Bayern sources have also indicated that, if Jackson performs well and displays a positive attitude over the year-long loan, he will find a permanent home in Bavaria.
Their plan is for him to both compete with and complement star striker Harry Kane.
Jackson made his debut as a half-time substitute for the German champions during their 5-0 win over Hamburg on Saturday, replacing Serge Gnabry and playing alongside the England captain.
“I thought he looked sharp,” said Kane. “In training, he’s looked really good. It’s not easy coming into a team like us when we’re so well-drilled.
“He physically is very strong and fast. And if he plays, he’ll be eager to impress. But I don’t want to put too much pressure on him too soon.
“He knows he’s working his way into the team. So far he’s had a great attitude and the willingness to learn is the most important thing.”
Jackson can play as a number nine or on the left wing, so has options in terms of position. And at Bayern, he escapes the pressure of needing to be the main goalscorer, while his proximity to the England captain can only benefit him in the future.
“My wish is that he scores a lot of goals for us. I think he’ll achieve that,” said Bayern boss Vincent Kompany.
The ball is now in Jackson’s court. He can either impress and stay at one of the world’s biggest clubs or follow a similar path to Jadon Sancho, who returned to Manchester United for a £5m penalty fee as Chelsea escaped their previous £20m obligation-to-buy agreement.