Chelsea's £70m summer transfer decision as new signing creates clear problem

Chelsea are set to make a big decision over the future of Nicolas Jackson when the summer transfer window comes around with the striker set to return to Stamford Bridge

A decision over the future of Nicolas Jackson is expected to be made in the upcoming summer transfer window, with the on-loan Chelsea striker unlikely to join Bayern Munich on a permanent basis.

football.london understands the Senegal international's obligation clause will only be triggered if he is to make around 40 appearances for Vincent Kompany's side while on loan this season. However, more than midway through February, Jackson has only featured a total of 22 times for Bayern and the striker was left out of Kompany's squad for their German Cup clash with RB Leipzig last week.

Bayern signed Jackson on a season-long loan deal last summer, paying Chelsea an initial fee of £14.3million for his services. If the obligation in his loan deal was to be met, the German club would then hand a further £56.2million to the Blues - that, in turn, would bring the overall fee to over £70million. However, that looks highly unlikely now.

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Instead, Jackson is set to return to Stamford Bridge in the summer before his future is discussed. The 24-year-old centre-forward is open to moving back to Chelsea given Liam Rosenior is now the head coach after the striker had difficulties with predecessor Enzo Maresca.

For Jackson to be part of the Blues' squad next season, there would need to be a few changes. Chelsea have three central striker options at the moment in Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu. It seems almost certain that Guiu will leave on loan in the summer given that was the plan for the former Barcelona striker this term before Chelsea recalled him from Sunderland as a result of Jackson departing.

So that leaves Joao Pedro and Delap, but on top of that, Emanuel Emegha is arriving from Strasbourg in the summer transfer window. Chelsea agreed a deal with the BlueCo-owned French club back in September of last year for the Netherlands international to move to west London in time for the 2026/27 campaign.

Unless the Blues were to offload one of Joao Pedro or Delap, which seems unlikely, in the summer then it begs the question: where does Jackson fit in at Stamford Bridge? That is why it would make more sense for Chelsea to look to move Jackson on, whether that be on another loan or ideally on a permanent basis.

Sources close to Chelsea and Jackson have told football.london that there is mass interest in the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations winner. Several clubs from Spain, Italy and elsewhere in the Premier League are understood to be keeping a close eye on the striker's situation and how it develops in the summer.

As for Jackson, all options remain on the table but between now and the end of the campaign, the centre-forward's focus is on helping Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga title and continue their Champions League run.

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