Rejected Jackson's First Opportunity to Haunt the Blues
Forward Nicolas Jackson was at the heart of one of the summer window's most gripping saga stories, but ultimately achieved his goal by signing for Bayern Munich on loan from Chelsea.
It did not escape all parties in the deal that the Senegalese striker would shortly encounter his parent club when Bayern face Chelsea in their opening Champions League fixture on Wednesday.
Those who helped complete the on-off-on deal had sufficient moments around a frantic deadline day to talk about his debut for the European powerhouse in the continent's top tournament.
Jackson was present in Germany all along as a deal was concluded on Saturday morning, prior to approval to have a medical was called off because of a severe hamstring injury to Blues striker Liam Delap.
But the move was reinstated by Monday's deadline.
In those moments, Jackson told his agents he was eager to facing, and hopefully scoring against, Chelsea.
Such emotion captures some of the emotions as Jackson departed Stamford Bridge.
He may well to believe he has a score to settle to some of the Chelsea fans that were not entirely supportive of him, particularly booing him off during former manager Mauricio Pochettino's time in charge.
Some of the management, including manager Enzo Maresca, also grew wary in him after a pair of dismissals against Newcastle United in the Premier League and Flamengo in the Club World Cup at the end of last season.
That fracturing of the bond between Jackson and Chelsea, coupled with the arrival of strikers Joao Pedro and Delap, facilitated his departure of west London.
When introduced at Bayern, Jackson said: "It was challenging - a hard spell. Challenging instances in those last days. But I was quite sure I will stay here because this is where I want to play and want to be.
"Bayern's chief, and the coach desired my services. It was very tough but in the end we succeeded, so I'm quite pleased.
"I have followed Bayern for years. It was a goal to join this giant institution. When they contacted me I was overjoyed and ready to come and play for them."
However, this stop-start transfer saga is merely finished for now, because the deal - a season-long arrangement with a clause to buy - does not appear fully secure.
Will Jackson Join Bayern Permanently?
Jackson signed for Bayern Munich on transfer cutoff day for a £14.3m loan fee - nearly a global benchmark amount for a short-term move - with a conditional obligation to buy for £56.2m.
Exclusively the borrowed deals that took Alvaro Morata from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid and then from the Spanish club to Juventus commanded bigger fees.
However, according to numerous German media reports, the terms to make the loan deal permanent are difficult to meet.
Uli Hoeness, the ex-forward who is an prominent voice on Bayern's board, told Sky Germany during the international break: "He won't play 40 games from the start.
"We still have 32 Bundesliga games. If we make it to the Champions League final, which we aim for, that brings 13 games. The combined is 45 games.
"German Cup games do not count. So he would have to start all these games. He will go to the Africa Cup of Nations in January, so he is unlikely to feature in 40 games."
Further clarification has been given that every game of 45 minutes or more would count as a "start" for Jackson.
Hoeness also claimed that Jackson's Epic Sport agency, managed by Ali Barat, paid the extra £1.3m tacked onto the loan fee by Chelsea in the two days before deadline, while leaving open the possibility that the Senegal striker could come back to west London next summer.
Upon questioning about the arrangement at his unveiling press conference, Jackson said: "It's not my decision, my job is just to do my best, make my team win and score as many goals. My focus is only on aiming for big things."
In any case, Chelsea are pleased with the monetary aspects and such a significant borrowing cost could encourage Bayern to buy Jackson next summer.
Insiders at the club have also stated that, if Jackson shines and exhibits a good mindset over the temporary spell, he will earn a lasting place in Bavaria.
The intention is for him to both rival and enhance star striker Harry Kane.
Jackson completed his debut as a second-half introduction for the reigning winners during their 5-0 win over Hamburg on Saturday, taking over from Serge Gnabry and playing alongside the England captain.
"In my view he looked impressive," said Kane. "During practices, he's looked very strong. It's challenging coming into a team like us when we're so organized.
"His physique is very powerful and quick. And if he plays, he'll be eager to impress. But I aim not to put undue burden on him too soon.
"He knows he's working his way into the team. So far he's had a great attitude and the willingness to learn is the key factor."
Jackson is capable of playing as a number nine or on the left flank, so has alternatives in terms of position. And at Bayern, he eludes the burden of needing to be the top finisher, while his closeness to the England captain can only help his development in the future.
"My desire is that he scores a lot of goals for us. I think he'll achieve that," said Bayern boss Vincent Kompany.
It's up to him in Jackson's court. He can either impress and stay at one of the world's biggest clubs or emulate the experience to Jadon Sancho, who returned to Manchester United for a £5m penalty fee as Chelsea escaped their previous £20m obligation-to-buy agreement.
What Led to It Not Work Out at Chelsea?
Both Chelsea and Jackson's entourage maintain the forward's time at Chelsea was a success.
The club invested in three months of outstanding performance at Villarreal and decided to exercise his £32m buyout option in 2023. He had more than doubled in value over a two-year period.
Jackson was just a professional footballer for five years - six years ahead of his move to Chelsea, he was competing on sandy recreational fields in his Senegalese hometown of Ziguinchor.
It was clear Jackson was a rough diamond, having played just 1,758 minutes of elite competition, but he soon became as Chelsea's first-choice forward.
Naturally, given the speed of his rise, there were moments that Jackson found it tough.
Based on Opta data, Jackson underperformed his expected goals by a score of -7 over the past two seasons, which is the second-poorest total in the Premier League, exceeded only by Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Poor finishing drew criticism from fans, and he is known to have suffered under that pressure. Jackson would have runs of scoring goals but then experience extended droughts.
In response to inquiries about his exit, Maresca said: "He is a Bayern Munich player. I wished him well and expressed my support. He worked well when he was here. There's nothing more I can say."
However, Jackson surpassed Chelsea legend Didier Drogba in his first season - netting 14 goals to the Ivory Coast striker's 10. He then scored 21 goals in his first 50 games to equal one of Africa's elite attackers at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are likely to make significant gain, whether