Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has completed his deadline day move to Bayern Munich. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Bayern Munich has finally found the much-needed depth piece in the attack. Hours after the transfer window closed on Monday, the Bundesliga giants announced the signing of Senegalese forward Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.

Jackson will join initially on loan for €16.5 million ($19.4 million). The deal also includes a conditional obligation to buy worth €65 million ($76.1 million). That clause will get triggered if Jackson plays a significant portion of this season’s games for Bayern Munich.

Still, even if not triggered, the Jackson deal is still significant. According to a report by Transfermarkt, it is the third-largest loan deal in history.

“I’m really happy to now be part of this great club,” Jackson said in a club statement. “Bayern is one of the best clubs in the world. Everyone knows the names of the legends who’ve played here and knows that this club stands for the greatest success. I’ve got big goals and dreams here and will give my all to help Bayern win further titles.”

For Jackson, the conclusion of the deal marks the end of 48 turbulent hours. On Saturday, the Senegalese forward had flown to Munich to complete the loan deal from Chelsea to Bayern Munich. But while he was taking pictures on the tarmac while deboarding his private jet, Chelsea had called the deal off.

While in the air, Chelsea striker Liam Delap suffered a hamstring injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca then suggested after the game that Delap could be out for up to eight weeks.

With Chelsea having sold Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan, the only senior striker left in the squad was João Pedro. Consequently, Chelsea called off the loan deal with Bayern Munich.

That in turn, left the Bayern Munich bosses scrambling for alternatives. A loan deal for Ademola Lookman was exploited but turned down by Atalanta. Indeed, director of sport Max Eberl and sporting director Christopher Freund looked a bit stranded on Saturday evening.

“We all have to explore our network and see what’s possible,” Eberl said after Bayern’s 3-2 victory over Augsburg on Saturday. Indeed, hours after the game, the deal for Jackson seemed to be completely off.

The only person who still believed in the deal was Jackson’s agent Diomansy Kamara. “Planes don’t go backwards,” Kamara said in a social media post. In fairness, Kamara and Jackson’s agency Epic Jackson, never gave up on the deal and continued to work on a solution.

That solution was found on deadline day. With other options not in sight, Bayern circled back to Chelsea. The Premier League side, however, had now changed the parameters of the deal. If Bayern wanted Jackson, they had to buy him. Ultimately, a compromise was reached in the form of a conditional obligation in the loan agreement.

“Nicolas was immediately keen to play for Bayern, so we’re especially pleased that things have finally worked out,” Eberl said. “Even at a young age, he already has lots of experience at a top international level and has shown his qualities. Nicolas is an ideal fit for the profile we’re looking for with his dynamism and presence. He’s hungry and will expand our options in attack with his abilities, being an immediate boost for our team.”

Added Freund: “Nicolas will add another dimension to our attacking play. He covers a wide range of areas. He brings a lot of speed, is dangerous in front of the goal, and looks for ways to get in behind the defence for the good of the team. He is also an open, positive guy and will have no trouble settling into our team.”

Overall, adding Jackson will help Bayern. The squad has become dangerously thin. Altogether, the club had only 25 players under contract, including four goalkeepers and three youth players. After selling Kingsley Coman to Al-Nassr and losing Leroy Sané to Galatasaray on a free transfer, the attack was dangerously thin.

Jackson will help in that regard. The Senegalese forward can play as a no.9 and on both wings. Whether he will be more than a backup and play the required number of games to secure a permanent transfer remains to be seen.