Jackson in limbo - where will the Senegalese end up?

Nicolas Jackson’s time at Bayern Munich could already be drawing to a close, with fresh reports in the German media suggesting his future is in doubt.

The Senegalese forward joined the Bavarian giants in the summer of 2025 after two seasons at Chelsea, where opinions on his performances were mixed. While some admired his potential as a Premier League striker, others highlighted a glaring weakness: inconsistent and unreliable finishing.

His one-year deal at Bayern initially generated excitement among Chelsea fans, but the Bundesliga club are reportedly unlikely to activate the 56.2 milion pounds buy option for the 24-year-old. According to Sky Deutschland, via The Mirror, Fisnik Asllani is now being considered as Bayern’s alternative at centre-forward.

The Hoffenheim striker has netted five goals in eight Bundesliga appearances this season, outpacing Jackson, who is yet to score in the German league — though he has two goals in the Champions League. Bayern are not alone in pursuing Asllani, with Barcelona also reportedly interested in securing him as a potential successor to Robert Lewandowski under Hansi Flick.

These developments suggest that Jackson could return to Chelsea, but his role at Stamford Bridge remains uncertain. The club’s strategy of buying and selling numerous players often leads to inflated squads, which can frustrate some players. Yet Chelsea have shown a willingness to reintegrate former loanees — Trevoh Chalobah is a prime example, having been loaned to Crystal Palace before returning in January.

Although Jackson spent the season on loan at Bayern, reports indicated that Chelsea were open to bringing him back if a permanent move in Germany fell through.

The need for a centre-forward at Stamford Bridge is pressing. Enzo Maresca’s squad have struggled in attack due to Joao Pedro’s goal drought, Liam Delap’s muscle injury, and Marc Guiu still trying to prove himself, making Jackson’s return a potential solution if Bayern pass on their option.

GERMANY - DFB POKAL ROUND 2

Tuesday

Eintr. Frankfurt - Borussia Dortmund 1-1* (2-4 after penalties)

/Knauff 7 - Brandt 48/

Heidenheim - Hamburger 0-1 (0-0)

/Glatzel 83 pen/

Hertha - Elversberg 3-0 (1-0)

/Cuisance 15, Gronning 58, Thorsteinsson 90+4/

Wolfsburg - Holstein Kiel 0-1 (0-1)

/Bernhardsson 42 pen/

Augsburg - Bochum 0-1 (0-1)

/Holtmann 39/

Cottbus - RB Leipzig 1-4 (0-3)

/Engelhardt 86 - Bakayoko 13, Baumgartner 28, 37, Banzuzi 59/

M'gladbach - Karlsruhe 3-1 (1-0)

/Machino 3, Elvedi 51, Tabakovic 89 - Schleusener 59/

St. Pauli - Hoffenheim 2*-2 (8-7 after penalties)

/Wahl 1, Pereira Lage 120+2 - Promel 47, Kramaric 107 pen/

Wednesday

20.00: (3.00) Greuther Furth (3.50) K'lautern (2.30)

20.00: (6.75) Illertissen (4.40) Magdeburg (1.48)

20.00: (3.05) Mainz (3.70) Stuttgart (2.20)

22.45: (3.75) Fortuna Dusseldorf (3.70) Freiburg (1.95)

22.45: (11.0) Koln (6.75) Bayern (1.23)

22.45: (1.75) Union Berlin (3.60) Bielefeld (4.90)

***odds are subject to change***