Nicolas Jackson’s brief stint with FC Bayern lasted nine months. Although the Senegalese national team striker didn’t quite fit into Kompany’s style of play, he did his job.
While Leon Goretzka and Raphael Guerreiro, who were also leaving the club, were allowed to make their final sporting farewells from FC Bayern with brief appearances on the field, Nicolas Jackson sat on the bench for the entire 3-0 victory in the DFB Cup final against VfB Stuttgart. Like Min-Jae Kim and Sapoko Ndiaye, the 24-year-old did not see any playing time.
It was the anonymous end to the career of a player who had arrived in Munich three quarters of a year earlier amid much fanfare. After selling Kingsley Coman, Bayern urgently needed another attacking player. Negotiations went back and forth between Chelsea FC, Jackson’s parent club, and Bayern. The transfer seemed to have fallen through but went through on the last day of the summer transfer window, for a loan fee of 16.5 million euros.
A hefty price for a single season, especially when his salary must also be factored in. On the other hand, it must be noted that Jackson generally fulfilled his role, which was never an easy one. Displace Harry Kane as the central striker? Impossible! Switching to the wing for Luis Diaz? Not ideal, as it’s not Jackson’s best position. All that was left was the role of the super sub, which he mostly handled with flying colors.
A slow start, the Africa Cup of Nations, a red card, and ultimately little trust
To be fair, Jackson had to make a cold start, as he didn’t arrive until the season had already begun. In the end, he took the field in 34 competitive matches, though he played at least 25 minutes in only 16 of them. Jackson’s stats: respectable—eleven goals and five assists are perfectly acceptable given his limited playing time. He scored eight times in the Bundesliga and three times in the Champions League.
He might have had even more appearances and goals, but the striker missed the winter break due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. He triumphed with Senegal, though the title was later annulled. And a red card in the 1-1 draw at Leverkusen cost Jackson two more games; he was suspended for that long due to his overly aggressive foul play.
When everything was on the line in the Champions League, coach Vincent Kompany didn’t trust Jackson. Against Real Madrid, he didn’t bring him on twice; in Paris, he came on in the 90th minute while trailing 4-5, and in the return leg in the 79th minute—and despite needing two goals, only after Kim and Alphonso Davies. This may have been partly due to the fact that the striker certainly has qualities, but ones different from those required for Kompany’s style of play. Jackson is more of a counter-attacking striker than a combination striker, and his technical skills are limited.
It became clear relatively quickly that Munich would not exercise the agreed-upon buyout option of 65 million euros. That is simply too much money for a player who has no chance of a starting spot. So, after participating in the World Cup, Jackson is returning to Chelsea FC for the time being. Whether he stays there or is sold on? Not the record champion’s concern. Jackson, for his part, carried an oversized wheat beer glass out of the Allianz Arena after the final matchday as a memento of his time in Munich.