Arsenal legend and Chelsea supporter, Paul Merson, has criticized the Blues for allowing Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson to leave the club, calling the move a major mistake.
Merson argued that Chelsea should never have sanctioned Jackson’s loan exit to Bayern Munich, especially with Liam Delap sidelined due to a long-term injury. Bayern’s deal reportedly includes a mandatory purchase clause if the former Villarreal forward features in a set number of matches.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Merson described the transfer as a “bad loan,” insisting that Jackson played a crucial role in Cole Palmer’s effectiveness on the pitch.
“I think Nicolas Jackson was a bad sale, I really do,” Merson said. “Jackson made Palmer and Palmer made Jackson. His pace opened up games and created space for players like Palmer and Enzo Fernández. Now that he’s gone, Chelsea’s attack looks flat — João Pedro comes short, and the flair players are forced to drop deeper, which makes it harder to hurt teams.”
Merson acknowledged that Jackson may not be the most clinical striker but praised his movement and work rate, which he believes were vital to Chelsea’s fluidity in attack.
Chelsea have endured a mixed run of results since Jackson’s departure — losing to his new club Bayern Munich in the Champions League opener and suffering back-to-back Premier League defeats before narrowly bouncing back with wins over Benfica and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
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