Bundesliga
Nicolas Jackson was officially unveiled as a new Bayern Munich player on Friday, as the new No.11 spoke about the drama around his season-long loan deal from English side Chelsea prior to the international break, his desire to join the Bundesliga champions and his goals in Germany.
After returning from international duty with Senegal - in which the African nation took two wins from two in FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Sudan (2-0) and DR Congo (3-2), with Jackson netting in the latter - Bayern's new striker sat down alongside board member for sport Max Eberl to formally present himself to the media.
First asked about his start to life as a Bayern player, Jackson cut an optimistic figure, declaring: "I'm really happy to be here and train with the team. I know a few players and can hardly wait for the games to start."
In response to the question of his reasoning behind choosing Bayern, Jackson responded: "There are always changes in football. Max [Eberl] and the coach really wanted me. As a player, you want to be where you're wanted. I've followed Bayern all my life. I'm really excited and can't wait to get going."
Asked about his aims as a Bayern player and his expectations of his playing time, which will reporedtly have an impact on any potential future permanent transfer, Jackson exuded focus and determination, answering: "My aim is to score as many goals as possible to help the team... My job is to play and help win. The number of games isn't my focus. I want to achieve great things with the club."
Speculation at the time surrounding a potential collapse of Jackson's move to Bayern was well documented, but Eberl set the record straight: "It was actually all sorted on the Saturday, up until Liam Delap's injury. Jacko was then clear in saying he wanted to stay. It was a big fight.
"The key was that we had a player who really wanted to join us. It all worked out in the end, which is the most important thing. It was an intense 48 hours with lots of ups and downs, but we were really focused on making it happen and found a good solution. We're really pleased Nicolas is here."
Jackson concurred that it wasn't a smooth process, adding: "They were tough moments, but I was very confident I'd get to stay here because it's where I wanted to come. I'd already spoken with the coach and the club bosses."
Prior to Jackson's unveiling, head coach Vincent Kompany was also asked about his new No.11 in his pre-match press conference ahead of Bayern's Matchday 3 clash against Hamburg on Saturday evening.
Kompany had this to say: "The first phase is important for him, up to the next international break. He didn't really have a pre-season with Chelsea.
"He played 90 minutes during the break. He's an athlete by nature and won't need long to get to 100 per cent. We need to make sure that we build up his rhythm. He's a guy with lots of quality, has scored goals in the English Premier League. I think we'll quickly be able to get the best out of his qualities."