Lothar Matthäus has sensationally claimed that Nicolas Jackson would still be a Bayern Munich player right now, if Vincent Kompany had got his way.
The record breaking Germany international dropped the bombshell on Sunday evening during Sky90, lifting the lid on the internal tug of war over the Senegalese striker.
“Kompany is convinced of Jackson’s quality and would have liked to keep him in Munich,” Matthäus said.
“But he is too expensive.”
According to the former Ballon d’Or winner, Kompany made his feelings clear behind closed doors. He wanted Jackson. Just not at any price.
“Kompany made it clear internally that he wanted to keep Jackson, but obviously at a price that Chelsea might not accept.”
The numbers that killed the deal
Jackson is currently on loan at Bayern from Chelsea. The German champions paid €16.5million last summer just to borrow him. A buy option was included in the agreement.
The price? €65million (around £55m).
Too rich for Bayern’s blood.
Sporting director Max Eberl all but confirmed Jackson’s departure at the end of April, telling ZDF’s Sportstudio that the striker would return to Chelsea once the loan expired.
That’s despite Kompany being satisfied with his contribution. Ten goals. Four assists. Thirty three appearances. A solid rotational forward.
Just not €65m worth of solid.
What happens to Jackson now?
Here’s where it gets messy.
Jackson is under contract at Chelsea until 2033. Yes, 2033. That’s not a typo. The Blues tied him down for the best part of a decade.
But do they actually want him back?
Chelsea’s plans for the 24 year old remain unclear. They’ve got a squad bursting at the seams. New signings arriving every window. Jackson might not have a clear path at Stamford Bridge.
Bayern won’t pay the fee. So he returns to London. And then? Nobody knows.
Goretzka scare but he’s fine
Elsewhere at Bayern, there was a brief panic in Wolfsburg.
Leon Goretzka was substituted at half time during Bayern’s 1-0 win. The reason? A free kick to the temple.
” He took a brutal blow to the head from that free kick,” sporting director Christoph Freund explained.
Goretzka finished the half but felt dizzy during the break. Bayern decided as a precaution to keep him in the dressing room.
Good news? He’ll be fine for the Bundesliga finale against Köln next Saturday, and the DFB Cup final against Stuttgart a week later.
“It’s not serious,” Kompany confirmed. “It’s just that we’re in a phase now where, if anyone feels anything, we have to make the right decisions.”
Three days off for the double winners
Bayern have already bagged the league. The DFB Cup final awaits. Kompany has given his squad three days off to recover.
“The past few weeks have been extremely intense, mentally too, with a lot of travelling,” Freund said.
“Now it’s time to wind down for a bit, and then we’ve got our title decider at home, which we absolutely want to win. After that, we’ll be fully focused on Berlin.”
The domestic double is there for the taking. Jackson won’t be part of it. Kompany wanted him. The board said no.
And now? Bayern move on. So does Jackson. Back to Chelsea. Back to uncertainty.
