Bayern Munich thought they were acquiring Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson on loan as vital Harry Kane cover and their second big forward acquisition this summer from the Premier League after nabbing starting left winger Luis Diaz from Liverpool.
Instead, Chelsea are aiming to kill the Jackson loan deal, as they can no longer afford to lose the striker as a backup to Joao Pedro after young gem Liam Delap went down with a potential multi-month injury in Saturday’s win over rivals Fulham.
As Jackson fights to keep the transfer alive and Bayern consider their other options at striker after alternative Nick Woltemade made a big leap to the Premier League’s Newcastle, Die Roten are keeping a different Chelsea player in mind as a transfer target.
According to a report from The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg, Bayern Munich have become the latest notable club to show an interest in acquiring Chelsea phenom Josh Acheampong, who is one of the most promising right back prospects in world football.
Chelsea won’t sell
But as Chelsea have already expressed to other clubs in the Premier League this transfer window, Acheampong is not for sale at any price. And given the drama of the Jackson transfer, it’s unlikely Chelsea want to do business with Bayern right now.
Regardless, Chelsea aren’t even in a position to sell Acheampong, because he isn’t just an important player for the future. After the Levi Colwill ACL tear, the Blues need all hands on deck defensively, and Acheampong is now vital cover at both center and right back.
So if Bayern saw that Chelsea are kiboshing the Jackson transfer after the Delap injury, then they have to understand that the Blues will be just as unwilling to part ways with Acheampong, who holds much more future value to the club than the out of favor Jackson.
Chelsea fans will be happy to hear a continual commitment from the club to back Acheampong, who has the potential to become the next great right back at Stamford Bridge and be the heir to Reece James that Malo Gusto clearly is not.
Acheampong, just 19 years old, has already started one game in the Premier League this season, showing up well for the Blues with two dribbles completed and two fouls drawn offensively while notching two tackles and an interception with a 93.5 pass completion percentage for good measure. He is ready to make it at Stamford Bridge and be a big-time player for the Blues.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.