Nicolas Jackson declared he was “where I’m wanted” on Friday as Bayern Munich officially unveiled the Senegal striker following his season-long loan move from Chelsea.
The 24-year-old arrived in Munich just before the transfer deadline but his switch nearly collapsed when Chelsea temporarily recalled him after Liam Delap suffered an injury.
Determined to force the move, Jackson refused to return to London, and Bayern later struck a deal with the Premier League club hours after the window closed.
“There were tough times and difficult moments, but I was very confident I would stay here because here is where I want to play and want to be,” Jackson told reporters. “I spoke to Max Eberl and the coach and they really wanted me here. As a player, you want to be at a place where people want you to be.”
Bayern reportedly paid a record €16.5 million ($19 million) loan fee, with an obligation to buy set at €65 million. But honorary president Uli Hoeness admitted this week that the conditions for the clause to activate, including starting 40 games this season, were deliberately unrealistic.
“We only need to pay it when he starts 40 games this season. He’ll never do that,” Hoeness said on Tuesday.
Asked about the remarks, Jackson called Hoeness “a legend of the club” but insisted his focus lay elsewhere. “That’s not my decision, not my focus. My job is just to play on the pitch, score as many goals as I can, and help the team win,” he said.
Jackson joined Chelsea in 2023 but slipped down the pecking order following the summer arrivals of Joao Pedro and Delap. He previously played for Villarreal and Valencia in Spain before moving to England.
The forward is now set to make his Bayern debut on Saturday when the German champions host Hamburg in the Bundesliga.
Source: AFP
Written By Rodney Mbua
