Nicolas Jackson consulted Sadio Mané before completing Bayern loan move
Senegal striker sought advice from former Bayern and Liverpool forward as transfer saga ended with loan that includes obligation to buy
Nicolas Jackson said he sought the advice of Senegal team-mate Sadio Mané before completing his loan move from Chelsea to Bayern Munich, revealing the former Liverpool and Bayern forward helped reassure him amid a testing transfer saga.
Bayern signed Jackson on loan for a reported fee of £14.2 million with an obligation to make the move permanent for £56.2 million if the forward reaches a specified number of appearances. Chelsea initially attempted to cancel the transfer after an injury to Liam Delap disrupted plans late on, but Jackson and his agent declined to return to London and the deal proceeded.
Jackson told German newspaper BILD that he exchanged a number of messages with Mané, who spent the 2022–23 season at Bayern. "Sadio is not only a Senegal legend, but also someone I admire greatly. He has opened so many doors for us with his achievements. We exchanged a few messages when we discussed my transfer," Jackson said.
Mané, now with Al-Nassr, won the Bundesliga title in his single season at Bayern and scored 12 goals in 38 appearances. Jackson said Mané offered straightforward guidance about joining the Bavarian club: "Work hard, stay humble, and be yourself." Jackson added that Mané's assessment that "Bayern is a big family with a great culture of winning" meant a great deal to him.
Despite the complications around the move, Jackson said he had been confident the transfer would be completed. "I never doubted that I would sign with Bayern, so I took the situation calmly," he said.
Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023 and has had a mixed spell at Stamford Bridge, scoring 30 goals in 81 appearances and providing 12 assists. He was part of Chelsea squads that won the UEFA Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Bayern face pressure to integrate the 23-year-old quickly if the obligation to buy is to be triggered, while Chelsea will monitor the player's progress closely given the significant potential transfer outlay. Jackson's consultation with a fellow Senegal international who has recent experience of both Bayern and the wider European game adds a personal dimension to a transfer that attracted scrutiny on deadline day.