Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern was seen as a success around Chelsea, but some are feeling his absence more than expected.
Chelsea haven’t been on top form to start the season, winning just two of six in the Premier League and winless after one European outing. Some have started to question some recruitment decisions made over the summer.
One such decision was to let Jackson out on loan, with the aim of reaching a permanent deal next summer.
🚨🔴⚪️ BREAKING: Bayern and Chelsea seal new agreement for Nicolas Jackson deal, done!
Loan + buy clause with new element of obligation to buy included in the deal for 2026, as Chelsea wanted.
Jackson already agreed 5 year deal at Bayern. €16.5m loan fee.
Here we go again 💣 pic.twitter.com/0O1HvrvRYh
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2025
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With the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, it seemed like the right call given that Jackson would have struggled for minutes. But hindsight will tell you otherwise, especially after Delap went down with an injury.
His departure has caused a profile change in the striker spot, and two players are being impacted more than most.
Paul Merson says Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez feeling the loss of Jackson
Cole Palmer developed a lethal partnership with Jackson upon arriving at Stamford Bridge. It wasn’t always perfect, but when they were on it, the pair could be devastating to opposing defences.
Discussing Chelsea on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Paul Merson claims Palmer is missing the Senegalese striker this season.
He says: “I think Jackson was a bad sell, I really did. I thought Jackson made Palmer and Palmer made Jackson, you know as a center forward. Put it this way as a midfield player you like to pass the ball, you want pace up front.
“It’s a dream, and he would always go and it would open the game up and Palmer would get on the ball, he’d have space. Now all of a sudden he’s gone.”
Merson isn’t looking to criticise Chelsea’s new star striker, and rightly so. Joao Pedro has been fantastic in a blue shirt since arriving at the club. But he is acknowledging the difference in playstyle, and he doesn’t think it’s just Palmer who is struggling to adapt.
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
He continues: “All of a sudden these flair players like your Fernandez’s and your Palmer’s don’t get time on the ball. Yeah.
“And then all of a sudden what you do when you don’t get time on the ball, I’m just going to go further and further and further back and get the ball off the centre-half and you’re not going to hurt anybody back there. I think that’s a big problem.”
Certainly, the two haven’t looked as devastating as they did at points last season, but there is a caveat.
Chelsea haven’t had much consistency with the line-up
Enzo Maresca has had a lot to deal with in the early stages of the season. At the back, red cards and suspensions have been the story of the campaign, but in the forward areas, injuries have plagued the side.
There was a time all the injuries at Chelsea were pinned to Pochettino, that phase passed and now it’s Maresca’s time…
So who are we pinning the injuries on now? pic.twitter.com/VwrBHvgbj2
— 𝑩𝒓𝒚𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒈♛ (@iambryaneteng) September 26, 2025
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Palmer has been in and out of the squad with an ongoing groin issue, meaning the hub of the attack is not featuring, or is featuring but not to his usual level.
It has to be pointed out, too, that Delap is most similar in profile to Jackson in terms of creating space and making dynamic runs in behind. We haven’t seen that in full effect yet.
There has been a tendency to write Chelsea off as soon as things aren’t going smoothly, with some even calling for Maresca to be sacked.
The reactionary stuff just isn’t helpful. As Maresca pointed out, they have lost five games in the last six months, four of which saw Chelsea down to ten men. The start of the season has been difficult, but passing judgment in the face of so many injuries and suspensions feels like jumping the gun.
Maybe Jackson will be a huge loss, we don’t know yet. We can’t know yet.
