Chelsea spoiled Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge by beating his Benfica side 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
An early own goal put the hosts in front in SW6, and Enzo Mareacs’s side held on to pick up their first points of the group phase so far.
The Blues did, however, pick up a third red card in four matches as Joao Pedro was dismissed in added-time after being shown a second yellow card.
Next up for Maresca’s side is another tricky test as Premier League champions Liverpool visit on Saturday, but in the meantime it has emerged that one of Chelsea’s loanees is likely to depart the club permanently next summer.
As per TBR Football, German side Bayern Munich have informed forward Nicolas Jackson that they intend to sign him permanently when his loan deal expires at the end of the current campaign.
Jackson scored for Bayern against Pafos on Tuesday (Photo: DPA Picture Alliance/Alamy)
The report suggests that, even if Bayern don’t meet the requirements to activate an obligation-to-buy clause included in the loan deal, they intend to renegotiate with the Blues and reach an agreement for a permanent deal.
Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023 and netted 30 times in 81 games across his two seasons with the club.
He was sent off twice in his final few games of last term, though, and was then sent on loan to Bayern over the summer, with the Bavarians paying a significant loan fee to their Premier League counterparts.
The Bundesliga giants are obliged to sign the player permanently for a fee of £56 million if Jackson starts 40 matches for Vincent Kompany’s side this term, but that appears unlikely and the report suggests that the German side will in fact attempt to negotiate new terms with the Blues.
Jackson netted his first goal for Bayern in their 5-1 win over Cypriot side Pafos in the Champions League on Tuesday night.