Nicolas Jackson's Agent Drops Bombshell Transfer Revelation Before Tense Chelsea Showdown
Nicolas Jackson's representative Diomansy Kamara made it crystal clear that his player has no intention of returning to Chelsea, despite remaining contractually tied to the west London outfit.
Jackson ultimately secured a loan move to Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day following considerable uncertainty. When Chelsea's Liam Delap suffered a hamstring problem, the Blues initially attempted to cancel the deal as it would have left them with only one available senior striker for the upcoming period. However, Jackson had different plans.
The striker and his representatives stayed put in Munich and pushed the transfer through, reportedly agreeing to personally fund the additional fees Chelsea were requesting. The conditions of this tense arrangement mean that the Bavarian giants are only required to activate the €65 million (£56.4 million, $77 million) buy-out clause should Jackson complete 40 starting appearances this campaign.
Bayern Munich's honorary president Uli Hoeneß noted that reaching this target will prove challenging given Jackson's expected absence for international commitments with Senegal during the Africa Cup of Nations in the new year.
Despite this, the 24-year-old forward remains determined not to return to Stamford Bridge.
When questioned on CANAL+ about whether Jackson would ever represent Chelsea again, his agent Kamara responded decisively: "Absolutely not. Absolutely not."
"Currently at Chelsea, the relationship with [Enzo] Maresca isn't particularly strong," Kamara explained. "We won't speak ill of those who helped us because Chelsea gave him the opportunity to reach European standards.
"He spent two seasons there and netted 30 goals, so he maintained positive relations throughout. However, it's accurate that the disciplinary issues created complications at Chelsea. Right now, we're focused on Bayern having a successful campaign. We'll assess what's in his best interests. But Bayern has been his preferred destination for quite some time."
Chelsea boss Maresca rejected any notion of conflict with his former striker. "I never experienced any issues with Nicolas and continue to have no problems with him," the Italian stated. "Once more, he's a quality individual, dedicated professional, performed well with us and that's the situation."
Double Agent Nicolas Jackson
While Jackson may have no desire to return to west London, west London is heading his way. Bayern welcome Chelsea in their opening league phase fixture of the revamped Champions League format on Wednesday. UEFA rules permit Jackson to feature against his parent club, and Vincent Kompany has acknowledged utilizing his new signing for insider knowledge.
"Naturally you have those discussions," the Bayern manager acknowledged.
"I've already analyzed approximately 40 Chelsea matches from last season collectively, as we participated in the Club World Cup together and encountered many of the same opponents they faced. Additionally last season, Chelsea was simply a fascinating team to study. So I don't sense they're a side that will present many surprises.
"I'm also familiar with the manager [Maresca]. But after some time, you understand whether you've prepared thoroughly or not. I have a sense of what Enzo might be communicating to his squad.
"We have our strategies, we have our approach, we have everything prepared. But ultimately, it comes down to the players. The players must demonstrate their character in these matches to create the difference."
Maresca recognized that Jackson's knowledge could provide Bayern with a benefit. "It could potentially be a minor advantage since he can question Nicolas about our methods, how we attempt to prepare for matches," he conceded. "Nicolas spent a full season with us so he understands precisely how we approach fixtures."