Nicolas Jackson sends message to Enzo Maresca after being forced out by Chelsea

Nicolas Jackson insists he doesn’t hold a grudge against Enzo Maresca after leaving Chelsea in bizarre fashion on transfer deadline day. Jackson has left the Blues for Bayern Munich on a season-long loan which eventually went through despite a change of heart from Chelsea.

The Senegal international had initially been set to join Bayern in the days before deadline day, only for an injury to Liam Delap to derail those plans. Chelsea demanded that Jackson return from Munich and re-join the squad before he was able to complete his medical.

However, Jackson and his representatives were adamant on still getting a deal through and they were ultimately successful, with Chelsea instead recalling Marc Guiu from Sunderland. It allowed Jackson to join Bayern on loan for £13m and the German giants will be obligated to sign him permanently for £56.2m next summer if he makes a set number of appearances.

Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal for £30m in the summer of 2023 and got 30 goals in 81 appearances for the club. But the arrivals of Delap and Joao Pedro pushed him down the pecking order and a string of red cards saw Maresca lose faith in him.

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Despite his rapid relegation by the Chelsea manager, and the unusual circumstances of his departure, Jackson refused to twist the knife. “[There were] very strong emotions, but not for the reasons you might think,” Jackson told Tuttosport. “I was simply very happy to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world, to discover another league and other great players.

“At the same time, I was a little sad to leave Chelsea, my teammates, and the fans. I experienced so many strong emotions there: we won the Conference League and the Club World Cup. Now I’m 100 per cent focused on my new project and I can’t wait to experience the incredible atmosphere at the Allianz Arena.”

It is only months since Jackson was Chelsea’s first-choice centre-forward. He made 37 appearances last season, getting 13 goals and six assists, but red cards at the end of the Premier League season and at the Club World Cup saw Maresca lose faith in him.

“Football is full of cycles. Sometimes things don’t go as they should, and that’s part of the game,” Jackson added. “I respect Maresca, I learned a lot from him, he has his own ideas and style.

“I just needed something different at this stage of my career. I have no regrets, just gratitude for my time at Chelsea.”

He has joined a Bayern side which is packed with stars and will compete for a place in the starting line-up against the likes of Harry Kane, Serge Gnabry, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise. Bayern have won both of their Bundesliga matches so far this season and Jackson could make his debut against Hamburg on Saturday after the international break.

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