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Nicolas Jackson, the Senegalese forward on loan at Bayern Munich, has taken a subtle jab at his parent club Chelsea after netting his first goal for the German side. The striker was loaned out to Vincent Kompany's team during the summer.
Jackson had previously participated in Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign, even providing a notable assist in their opening match against LAFC. His final appearance for the west London club was a brief 30-minute stint off the bench during their 2-0 triumph over Fluminese in the competition's semi-finals.
Upon his return, Jackson found himself training separately from the main squad after Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made it clear he wasn't part of his plans. His journey to Bayern Munich was somewhat chaotic, as he was initially permitted to move to Germany, only to be recalled following an injury to Liam Delap during Chelsea's 2-0 home win over Fulham.
Eventually, his transfer to the Bavarian giants was sanctioned, with Chelsea bringing back Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland to fill the void left by Delap. Jackson had originally intended to remain at Chelsea and vie for his place alongside Joao Pedro and the former Manchester City forward.
However, after being ostracised from the first team by Maresca, Bayern seized the opportunity to swoop in. Following his goal in their 5-1 away victory over Cypriot outfit Pafos in the Champions League, Jackson didn't hold back in expressing his feelings towards his old club, reports the Express.
He said: "It wasn't easy but we played a very good game and worked hard. I'm very happy to score my first goal for the club. I'm still getting back to full fitness because I hadn't played and trained alone for two months. I'm working hard every day. I'm very happy here, everyone welcomed me very well. I feel at home. We'll see what the future brings."
Jackson's particular reference to the absence of training during his final months at Chelsea reveals everything, as it shows how disheartened he became after being left out of the squad by Maresca.
His switch to Bayern represents a temporary arrangement at this stage, though it could develop into a permanent transfer worth £56million should specific conditions be fulfilled.
It's believed the deal will be activated should he feature from the start in 40 matches across all competitions this campaign.
This represents a challenging objective considering he's battling for a place with England skipper Harry Kane, who has already netted 17 times and provided three assists in merely nine outings this term.
Bayern executive Uli Hoeness recently suggested it would be unachievable for the requirements to be satisfied before stating a transfer will "never happen".
Nevertheless, Jackson's representative Ali Barat thinks the striker could persuade Kompany's team that he merits the £56m investment.
He told RMC Sport: "They have a mandatory purchase option if he plays 40 games, but they also have a £56m option. So I think if Nico (Jackson) performs this season, given the current market prices for strikers, at £56m, in my opinion, they should buy him.
"It all depends on how Jackson fits in and performs. But normally, with the potential he has, I don't think they'll have a problem paying the fee at the end of the summer."
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