Passed Over Jackson's Early Chance to Haunt Stamford Bridge
Attacker Nicolas Jackson found himself central to among the summer window's most dramatic saga stories, yet eventually got his wish by signing for Bayern Munich for a season from Chelsea.
It did not escape anyone involved in the deal that the 24-year-old would quickly face his original side when Bayern face Chelsea in their opening Champions League game on Wednesday.
Individuals assisting finalize the turbulent transfer had ample opportunity around a chaotic deadline day to consider his debut for the European powerhouse in the elite Champions League.
Jackson remained in Germany all along as a deal was concluded on Saturday morning, until the green light to have a medical was cancelled because of a severe hamstring injury to Chelsea forward Liam Delap.
But the move was back on by Monday's deadline.
In those moments, Jackson told his advisors he was looking forward to facing, and possibly scoring against, Chelsea.
That feeling illustrates some of the emotions as Jackson departed Stamford Bridge.
He probably to think he has a score to settle to some of the Chelsea fans that were not entirely supportive of him, notably jeering him during previous boss Mauricio Pochettino's tenure.
Some of the management, including manager Enzo Maresca, also began to lose trust in him after a pair of dismissals against Newcastle United in the Premier League and Flamengo in the Club World Cup at the end of last season.
This breakdown of the relationship between Jackson and Chelsea, coupled with the signing of strikers Joao Pedro and Delap, facilitated his departure of west London.
When introduced at Bayern, Jackson said: "It was difficult - a hard spell. Challenging instances in those last days. But I was very confident I will stay here because this is the club I aimed for and want to be.
"Max Eberl, and the coach desired my services. It was extremely hard but in the end we got it, so I'm extremely happy.
"I've watched Bayern since childhood. It was a goal to join this huge team. When they reached out I was overjoyed and eager to come and play for them."
But, this stop-start transfer saga is just concluded for now, because the deal - a temporary move with a requirement to buy - does not appear ironclad.
Is Jackson Set to Join Bayern Long-Term?
Jackson moved to Bayern Munich on transfer cutoff day for a sizable loan fee - approaching a world record amount for a short-term move - with a conditional obligation to buy for £56.2m.
Exclusively the borrowed deals that took Alvaro Morata from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid and then from the Spanish club to Juventus received bigger fees.
However, according to widespread German media reports, the terms to make the loan deal permanent are difficult to meet.
Uli Hoeness, the former striker who is an prominent voice on Bayern's board, told Sky Germany during the international break: "It's improbable he'll start 40 games from the start.
"We still have 32 Bundesliga games. If we make it to the Champions League final, which we aspire to, that adds 13 games. The total is 45 games.
"domestic cup games aren't factored in. So he would have to start every fixture. He will go to the Africa Cup of Nations in January, so he is unlikely to feature in 40 games."
Additional details has been given that every game of 45 minutes or more would qualify as a "start" for Jackson.
Hoeness further stated that Jackson's Epic Sport agency, headed by Ali Barat, paid the extra £1.3m added to the loan fee by Chelsea in the final moments before deadline, while leaving open the possibility that the Senegal striker could come back to west London next summer.
Upon questioning about the arrangement at his unveiling press conference, Jackson said: "I don't determine that, my job is just to perform, make my team win and score as many goals. My focus is only on aiming for big things."
Regardless, Chelsea are pleased with the financial terms and such a substantial temporary fee could encourage Bayern to buy Jackson next summer.
Bayern sources have also stated that, if Jackson shines and exhibits a positive attitude over the season-long stint, 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 interval replacement for the reigning winners during their 5-0 win over Hamburg on Saturday, replacing Serge Gnabry and playing alongside the England captain.
"In my view he looked sharp," said Kane. "During practices, he's looked very strong. It's difficult coming into a team like us when we're so organized.
"His physique is very powerful and quick. And if he plays, he'll be eager to impress. But I don't want to put undue burden on him too soon.
"He knows he's adapting to the team. So far he's had a great attitude and the desire to improve is the most important thing."
Jackson can play as a number nine or on the left wing, so has alternatives in terms of position. And at Bayern, he avoids the expectation of needing to be the primary scorer, while his association with the England captain can only aid his progress in the future.
"My desire is that he is prolific for us. I think he'll achieve that," said Bayern boss Vincent Kompany.
It's up to him in Jackson's court. He can either impress and stay at one of the world's largest teams or emulate the experience to Jadon Sancho, who went back to Manchester United for a financial penalty as Chelsea escaped their previous £20m obligation-to-buy agreement.
What Led to It Not Work Out at Chelsea?
The club from London and Jackson's entourage maintain the forward's time at Chelsea was a success.
Chelsea banked on three months of exceptional form at Villarreal and decided to exercise his £32m buyout option in 2023. He had significantly increased in value over a 24-month span.
Jackson had only been a professional footballer for five years - six years ahead of his move to Chelsea, he was playing on sandy amateur pitches in his Senegalese city of Ziguinchor.
It was clear Jackson was a raw talent, having played just 1,758 minutes of first-division soccer, but he rapidly cemented his place as Chelsea's starting striker.
Naturally, given the rapidity of his rise, there were occasions where Jackson found it tough.
According to Opta data, Jackson fell short of his anticipated returns by a score of -7 over the past two seasons, which is the second-poorest total in the Premier League, trailing just Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Ineffective scoring drew negative feedback from fans, and he is known to have been affected by that pressure. Jackson would have runs of scoring goals but then experience prolonged goalless stretches.
Upon being questioned about his exit, Maresca said: "He is a Bayern Munich player. I wished him well and expressed my support. He performed diligently when he was here. That is everything I can say."
However, Jackson outscored Chelsea legend Didier Drogba in his first season - netting 14 goals to the Ivory Coast striker's 10. He then bagged 21 goals in his first 50 games to equal one of Africa's great strikers at Stamford Bridge.
The London club are likely to make considerable return, whether