Nicolas Jackson 'thrilled' to join Bayern Munich on loan 'where he's wanted'

Speaking at his official unveiling in Munich on Friday, Jackson reflected on the "tough times and difficult moments" leading up to the deal, which had looked uncertain just days before the transfer window closed.

"In football, there can be a time when you want a change," Jackson said. "I spoke to sporting director Max Eberl and the coach, and they really wanted me to be here and they believed in me. As a player, you want to be where people want you to be."

Jackson had joined Chelsea in 2023 but struggled for regular game time following the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. He travelled to Munich in the days before the deadline, only to be recalled by Chelsea after Delap suffered an injury.

Jackson, through his agent, refused to return to London, determined to push through the move to Bayern.

The Bavarian club confirmed the loan shortly after the window closed, agreeing a reported 16.5 million euro loan fee, the highest in their history, with an obligation to buy set at 65 million euros. Bayern executive Uli Hoeness later told reporters that the conditions to trigger the purchase were deliberately set high. "We only need to pay it when he starts 40 games this season. He'll never do that," Hoeness said.

Jackson, however, remained focused on his football. "Uli Hoeness is a legend of the club," he said. "Trying to trigger the obligation is 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."

The former Valencia forward is expected to make his Bayern debut on Saturday when the German giants host Hamburg in the Bundesliga. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany has confirmed that Jackson is in line to start and could play a key role in the team's early-season push.

READ MORE: Former Man City defender Aymeric Laporte returns home to Athletic Club