Paul Scholes has questioned Chelsea’s decision to offload Nicolas Jackson during the summer transfer window.
Jackson joined Bayern Munich on an initial loan deal which includes a mandatory obligation to buy if the striker makes a set number of appearances.
Jackson, who will play back-up to England captain Harry Kane at the Allianz Arena, opened his account for Bayern in last week’s 5-1 Champions League win over Pafos.
The 24-year-old scored 30 goals in 81 matches for Chelsea following a £32m move from Villarreal in 2023.
Scholes admits Jackson is not a natural finisher but has nevertheless questioned Chelsea’s decision to let him leave over the summer.
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‘These midfield players as No. 10s [like Chelsea’s Cole Palmer], they need pace up front, they need an Ian Wright up there,’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.
‘I don’t think Nicolas Jackson is the greatest finisher, he was never a player you were that confident was going to score if he was running through on goal. I didn’t get that impression with him.
‘But at least he gets you up the pitch and he’s got the movement that helps other players because it gives them the space. When you’re not playing against pace everyone is pushed up and there’s nowhere to go.’
Paul Merson also disagreed with Chelsea’s decision to offload Jackson, describing it as a ‘bad loan’.
‘I think Nicolas Jackson was a bad sale, I really do,’ the Arsenal hero added. ‘I thought Jackson made Palmer and Palmer made Jackson.
‘As a midfield player, you love to pass the ball so you love pace up front, it’s a dream. Jackson would always go and it would open the game up and give Palmer more space.
‘Now he’s gone and Joan Pedro plays but he’s more like a 10 who comes short. All of a sudden your flair players like Palmer and Enzo [Fernandez] don’t get as much time on the ball and start picking the ball up further back and you can’t hurt teams from there.
‘For me that’s a problem. Jackson is not the best finisher but he will have his days. I thought that was a bad loan.’
Chelsea lost to Jackson’s Bayern in their Champions League opener before suffering back-to-back Premier League defeats.
Enzo Maresca’s side returned to winning ways against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica before scoring an injury-time goal to beat Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking after the last-gasp win over Premier League champions Liverpool, Chelsea assistant manager Willy Caballero said: ‘We are so happy that we achieved the three points in the last seconds.
‘We are so happy and so proud. The players did a fantastic job. Now is a good break for many of them and hopefully we can recover a few more players and start the new cycle of games with energy.
‘It is extra special to score so late on because you win energy, trust, confidence in the process.
‘I think the atmosphere in the stadium gives us more too. It’s unforgettable. So now we have to take this to keep growing.
‘It’s a shame we have the break now but we have a really good connection between the players and the supporters.’
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has already suggested Jackson could return to Chelsea next summer by admitting he is unlikely to play enough games to activate a permanent move.
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