Nicolas Jackson already forced into Chelsea return after failing to meet clause during Bayern Munich loan

The Senegalese striker joined the German champions on a year-long deal for an initial fee of £14.2m at the end of the summer transfer window. A further fee of £56.2m, initiating a permanent switch for Jackson, would be triggered as soon as the ex-Villareal man hit a minimum number of starts or appearances of at least 45 minutes for the club. Earlier this season, Bayern president Uli Hoeness revealed the threshold was 40 starts in the Bundesliga and Champions League. Jackson has made just six qualifying appearances thus far. 

With Bayern able to play in just 33 more games in both competitions for the remainder of the season, the Rekordmesiters are under no obligation to make Jackson's transfer permanent. Furthermore, Jackson's temporary tenure with Bayern will also be broken up by the Africa Cup of Nations, with the 25-year-old an integral member of Pape Thiaw's squad. The continental tournament will take place between December 21 and January 18, potentially ruling Jackson out of five games should Senegal reach the final. 

Jackson's departure from west London took an acrimonious turn, as the Blues attempted to block the player's move to Germany at the last moment. Recent signing Liam Delap's hamstring injury left Chelsea short in attack, prompting the Premier League outfit to cancel the deal. Jackson's agent, the former Portsmouth, West Brom and Fulham striker Diomansy Kamara, and Bayern's top brass managed to push the deal through. 

Comments made by Kamara suggest the relationship between Jackson and his parent club are irredeemable, and a permanent deal with Bayern is still on the cards despite his lack of starts. The agent suggested his client's relationship with Enzo Maresca has hit the rocks, with the Italian manager unimpressed by Jackson's ill discipline. The Senegalese striker entered the 2025/26 season suspended in the Premier League, while he also picked up a red card during Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign in the summer. 

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When asked if he could see Jackson returning to west London, Kamara told Canal+ Sport: "Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

"Today at Chelsea, the relationship with (Enzo) Maresca isn't necessarily the best. We're never going to bite the hand that feeds us because Chelsea allowed him to find the European level.

"He was there for two years and scored 30 goals, so he always had a good relationship. After, it's true that the red cards complicated it at Chelsea. Today, we're looking towards Bayern having a good season. We will see what is best for him. But it's true that Bayern is a priority for him for a long time."

On Hoeness' comments regarding the 40 appearance clause, Kamara said: "It's a war of egos between the two clubs. He even rowed back on his comments. It's true that there is a saga around the transfer.

"It was a loan without an obligation to buy. We did a little pushing and said he did not want to return to Chelsea. The clubs reached an agreement. There was talk around how many matches Nico would have to play for an obligatory option.

"Nico's objective isn't to play 40 matches. If he scores 15 goals by December, they're not going to say play 40 matches."

Kamara is obviously projecting a bullish picture for the betterment of his client's future prospects, however, there is scant evidence to back up his confidence. Jackson is very much second fiddle to Harry Kane in Munich, and as long as the England captain is fit, he will fall well short of the number of appearances or goals that will make him an attractive permanent proposition for the Bavarian giants.