Nicolas Jackson has agreed to leave Chelsea for Bayern Munich this summer but the clubs are yet to reach an agreement.
The Senegal international has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge during this transfer window thanks to the arrivals of Joao Pedro from Brighton and Liam Delap from Ipswich Town.
Both the Brazilian and the Englishman started the 5-1 win over West Ham on Friday while Jackson was not in the squad at all.
Manager Enzo Maresca explained why that was the case before the contest, telling a pre-match press conference of Jackson: ‘He is available but he’s not going to be part of the squad because, we already said, we have two strikers, we have two players in that position and also we know that something can happen before the transfer window closes.’
On the striker’s future, the Italian said: ‘No idea, to be honest. No idea.
Your ultimate guide to the football season
Metro’s weekly football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it’s an open goal.
‘You know already from last season that I prefer to be focused on training sessions, prepare the game and these kind of things. I don’t know.’
Premier League clubs including Aston Villa and Newcastle United have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, but Bayern Munich appear to now be at the front of the queue for his signature.
German publication Bild report that Jackson has agreed to join the Bundesliga giants, but there remain important negotiations to take place between the clubs.
Bayern are keen on a loan deal for the Senegalese star, while Chelsea would prefer a permanent exit as they look to balance their books and stay in good shape in terms of Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The Blues’ asking price for Jackson has been a sticking point for a deal to other interested parties, with the west London club thought to want around £60m for his services.
The Blues paid Villarreal around £32m for Jackson in 2023 and he has since scored 30 goals in 81 appearances in all competitions.
Whether Bayern will be successful in their attempt to sign Jackson on loan is not clear, with The Times reporting that they found themselves in the same situation earlier in the transfer window and got nowhere.
Another Chelsea outcast, Christopher Nkunku, was wanted by Bayern on loan but the Blues were not interested in sanctioning a short-term move and the deal fell apart.
Nkunku is another player Chelsea are looking to move on in the coming days, also looking to secure permanent exits for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi.
Aston Villa have also been linked with a move for Nkunku as they are desperate to add to their forward options before the transfer window closes.
West Ham and Fulham have been touted as possible suitors for Sterling, while Chelsea legend Frank Lampard is hoping to pull off an ambitious move to bring Chilwell to Coventry City in the Championship.