When it comes to Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, this is a transfer saga has taken a decidedly contentious turn. Chelsea had agreed to loan the forward out to Bayern Munich, on a deal that includes an option to buy for €65m. The former Villarreal man flew out to Bavaria, to finalize the move yesterday, but then something substantial happened which changed the club’s mind.
Liam Delap suffered a hamstring injury in the win over Fulham, later on during the day.
Delap will require further scans in order to assess the damage, and we’ll have to wait and see is surgery is required to heal from the injury. In the meantime, Chelsea need striker depth so they pulled out of the Jackson deal.
That didn’t sit well with the player himself, who is defying the club’s orders, and trying to get his transfer pushed through. Can’t really blame the guy, as the club literally said, “we don’t want/need you, but okay, actually now that we’re in a more pressured position, actually yeah, we do want/need you.”
So where does this leave us now? Well, Chelsea haven’t entirely killed the deal as of yet. The Guardian inform us that the southwest London club are “only willing to consider a permanent deal and want to sign a replacement if the striker leaves.”
That is a lot of moving pieces to sort out, in not a lot of time. Summer transfer window deadline day always brings major drama, and the Nicolas Jackson situation is certainly providing that.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter