Jackson’s departure from Chelsea is an example of just how quickly things can change.
Only last September, the Senegal international agreed a two-year extension to his contract which committed his future to Chelsea until 2033.
That faith was justified. After joining from Villarreal for just over €35m in 2023, Jackson made a positive impression for the first year-and-a-half. While not winning over all Chelsea fans, he scored a very credible 23 Premier League goals from his first 50 appearances.
But his form nosedived in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, not helped by a hamstring injury sustained against West Ham on February 3. He scored just once more in the top division from his last 15 games, coming under increasing scrutiny for the amount of chances he missed.
Finding the net in the UEFA Conference League Final win over Real Betis will give him a nice memory to reflect on, but Chelsea clearly felt the need to upgrade as they signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro two months ago. Both players were quickly promoted above Jackson in the pecking order at the Club World Cup, which also prompted his desire to seek another challenge, especially with the World Cup next year on his mind.
A number of clubs in England and abroad expressed an interest which shows his talent in the game is respected, albeit no-one has been prepared to pay Chelsea’s asking price this summer.
Should he impress in Germany and Bayern decide to trigger the sizeable option to buy him next year, Chelsea will make a sizeable profit. It will represent good business but there is a possibility they could come to regret letting the 24-year-old, who has a lot of potential to develop, go so soon.