Chelsea have opened talks with Sporting Lisbon over young striker Conrad Harder after pulling the plug on Nicolas Jackson’s proposed loan move to Bayern Munich.
Jackson, 24, was in Germany and preparing for a medical ahead of a £13m loan deal when the Blues abruptly withdrew permission on Saturday.
The decision came shortly after Liam Delap sustained a hamstring injury in Chelsea’s 2-0 win against Fulham, leaving manager Enzo Maresca short of attacking options.
With Delap now expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, Chelsea are demanding Bayern switch their interest in Jackson to a permanent transfer, which would free up funds to pursue Harder.
The 20-year-old Denmark international has one senior cap and is regarded as a high-potential forward, though he would face competition from two other strikers at Stamford Bridge if a deal is agreed.
Maresca’s preferred solution is to sell Jackson and sign Harder, but alternative plans remain on the table.
The Blues could recall Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland—though that would require negotiations between the clubs—or instruct Jackson to return to London if no agreement is reached with Bayern.
The clock is ticking, with the transfer window set to close at 19:00 BST on Monday.
In addition to bolstering their attack, Chelsea are also finalising a season-long loan move for Brighton’s Facundo Buonanotte.
Before Delap’s setback, the club had even lodged an approach for Barcelona midfielder Fermín López, underlining their determination to strengthen Maresca’s squad.
Meanwhile, efforts continue to offload the final members of Chelsea’s so-called "bomb squad," with Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana all expected to depart if suitable offers arrive.
