Nicolas Jackson has insisted he holds no grudge against Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca after completing a deadline-day loan move to Bayern Munich. The Senegal international joined the German giants on a season-long loan for £13 million, with an obligation to buy for £56.2 million next summer if he makes a set number of appearances.
The transfer was thrown into doubt when Chelsea attempted to recall Jackson from Munich following an injury to Liam Delap, but the player and his representatives pushed for the deal to go through. Chelsea ultimately allowed the move, recalling Marc Guiu from Sunderland as cover.
Jackson, who scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for Chelsea after joining from Villarreal for £30 million in 2023, found himself down the pecking order following the arrivals of Delap and Joao Pedro. A string of red cards also saw Maresca lose faith in the striker.
Despite the unusual circumstances of his departure, Jackson refused to criticise Maresca. “I respect Maresca, I learned a lot from him, he has his own ideas and style,” Jackson told Tuttosport. “I just needed something different at this stage of my career. I have no regrets, just gratitude for my time at Chelsea.”
The 24-year-old admitted to mixed emotions about leaving Stamford Bridge. “I was simply very happy to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world, to discover another league and other great players. At the same time, I was a little sad to leave Chelsea, my teammates, and the fans.”
Jackson now joins a Bayern side featuring Harry Kane, Serge Gnabry, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise. He could make his debut against Hamburg on Saturday after the international break.
