Chelsea's revival under Enzo Maresca continues to gather momentum.
Now firmly in the Premier League title conversation and delivering statement wins in Europe -- most notably their emphatic 3-0 demolition of Barcelona at Stamford Bridge -- the Blues look like a team built for both the present and the long-term.
With Estevão, Andrey Santos, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Malo Gusto all thriving, Maresca's youth-focused project is accelerating at pace.
And as the club plans the next phase of its rebuild, a decision has now been made on the future of one loanee.
According to the Metro, Chelsea have already decided to part ways with Nicolas Jackson, despite the striker being set to return to Stamford Bridge after Bayern Munich failed to trigger his purchase clause.
Bayern paid a remarkable £14m loan fee to bring Jackson in for the 2025-26 season, with an obligation to buy set at £56m if he reached a required number of appearances. For months, the exact threshold was unclear -- until club president Uli Hoeness confirmed in September that the trigger was 40 starts.
Jackson, who previously made headlines after a public spat with Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel, has made 15 appearances and scored five goals for Bayern this season.
However, his upcoming participation in the Africa Cup of Nations means he can no longer reach the appearance requirement needed to make the deal permanent.
As a result, the 24-year-old -- who joined Chelsea for £32m in 2023 -- is now on course for a return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the campaign.
But per the report, Chelsea have already informed Jackson that his time at the club is "over", and they intend to approve a permanent sale next summer.
Chelsea's stance makes the summer exit of the Senegalese forward feel inevitable, with both parties now preparing to move on.