Nicolas Jackson has been forced to return to Chelsea after Bayern Munich pulled out of a deal to sign the striker on loan. The Senegal international was given permission to fly to Munich on Saturday after the clubs agreed a loan with an option to buy for €65 million (£56 million). However, Chelsea later blocked the move after Liam Delap sustained a hamstring injury against Fulham, leaving the Blues short of fit strikers.
Delap is expected to be out for at least eight weeks, prompting head coach Enzo Maresca to reconsider letting Jackson leave. Chelsea instructed Jackson to return to London on Saturday, but he initially remained in Bavaria with his representatives, who spent Sunday trying to salvage the deal with Bayern. The Bundesliga champions, however, only wanted a loan and walked away when Chelsea insisted on a permanent transfer.
Jackson, who has scored 24 goals in 65 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, had dropped down the pecking order after the arrivals of João Pedro and Delap. He asked to leave in August and has been linked with Aston Villa, Newcastle, Napoli, and Juventus. It remains unclear if any club will make a move before Monday's transfer deadline, with Newcastle a potential option if they sell Alexander Isak to Liverpool.
Chelsea have contingency plans in case Jackson departs, focusing on permanent deals rather than loans. They have inquired about Sporting Lisbon's Conrad Harder, a 20-year-old Danish forward, and have agreed to recall Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland. The club is also open to offers for Tyrique George, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, and Axel Disasi, while Josh Acheampong is not for sale.
