Munich, April 28, 2026, 23:05 CEST
Bayern Munich will not activate the permanent transfer clause for Nicolas Jackson, putting the Chelsea forward on course to return to London after a season in which he gave the German champions useful cover but did not change the club’s plan behind Harry Kane. Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl told ZDF the club “will not activate the permanent transfer clause” for Jackson, Bundesliga.com reported. Bundesliga
The call lands at a busy point. Bayern still have work to do in Europe after Paris Saint-Germain beat them 5-4 in a wild Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday, leaving the return match in Munich to decide whether the season can still end with a European final.
It also matters for Chelsea. Jackson is 24, has a long runway as an asset, and now re-enters a summer market in which Newcastle United have already been reported as contenders after Bayern confirmed they would not make the loan permanent.
A permanent transfer clause is the agreed route for a buying club to turn a loan into a full transfer, usually for a fixed fee. In Jackson’s case, the reported numbers were large enough to make the decision more about squad planning than one good run of form: Abendzeitung said Uli Hoeneß had put the buy obligation at 40 starts and a possible 65 million euro fee, while Bavarian Football Works reported Bayern’s obligation would only have been triggered by 45-plus minutes in 40 Bundesliga and Champions League games.
Jackson did not get close to making the decision automatic. He has 29 Bayern appearances, 16 of them as a substitute, Abendzeitung reported; Sports Mole put his total return at 10 goals and four assists in 29 games in all competitions.
That is the awkward part. Jackson has scored in each of his last three Bundesliga games against St Pauli, Stuttgart and Mainz 05, but he has still been a deputy to Kane, not a forward around whom Bayern built the side.
Jackson’s camp pushed back without picking a fight. His agent, Diomansy Kamara, wrote on Instagram that Jackson was having “an excellent season” and said the forward remained “100% focused” on Bayern’s Champions League tie, adding: “The future… who can predict it?” Bulinews
Bayern’s own September language shows how quickly a loan can shift. When Jackson arrived from Chelsea, Eberl said the striker brought “dynamism and presence,” while sporting director Christoph Freund said he would add “another dimension” to the attack. Jackson said then: “I’ve got big goals and dreams here.” FC Bayern
Chelsea may see it differently from Bayern. Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel said the club had missed Jackson’s pressing and link play, arguing: “What he gave us, no striker is providing right now,” according to Goal.com. Goal
But the risk is that nobody gets the clean outcome. Bayern could still seek a cheaper deal, Chelsea could try to fold Jackson back into the squad, and outside interest may not become a firm bid at the level Chelsea want. Bavarian Football Works noted Bayern’s refusal to trigger the clause does not rule out talks below the reported option price.
For now, the message is plain enough. Jackson showed Bayern he has value; he did not show them he was Kane’s heir, the same line ESPN drew in its latest assessment of the loan.
