Chelsea news as Blues keep tabs on £80m star and Nicolas Jackson's agent speaks out

Chelsea's focus shifts back to the Premier League this weekend, following their midweek Champions League loss to Bayern Munich.

The Blues suffered a 3-1 defeat in Bavaria, with loanee Nicolas Jackson making a late appearance against his parent club after a whirlwind deadline day saga. Jackson secured a season-long loan to Bayern on the final day of the transfer window, only for Chelsea to attempt to recall him following an injury to Liam Delap.

Despite the controversy involving the club's hierarchy and Jackson's agent, the Senegalese striker eventually made his move to the Bundesliga. Former Bayern player Owen Hargreaves lauded his old team's European opener, quickly highlighting two Chelsea players who he believes need to step up their game.

• Tosin Adarabioyo makes Champions League feelings clear as Chelsea prepare for Man Utd
• Raheem Sterling's Chelsea exit promise sums up his true thoughts as he's frozen out

While Hargreaves suggests that the Blues should bolster their defence, Enzo Maresca is advocating for reinforcements further upfield. Here, we bring you all the latest updates from Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson's agent reveals all

The near-collapse of Jackson's move to Bayern has been one of the top stories from this year's transfer window. The Senegalese forward was given permission to leave Stamford Bridge and head to Germany to finalise a loan deal with the Bundesliga champions - but this was abruptly halted following Delap's injury.

Jackson's transfer eventually went through, with a £56.25million obligation to buy clause based on appearances included in the agreement. The player's agent, Ali Barat, has now shed light on the transfer saga as he told the Mail: "There was a willingness and the ability of the clubs to take into account. Nico had a really clear vision of his next step, but obviously, he was a Chelsea player and we had to respect their wishes.

"It required a lot of diplomacy and patience, but in the end, Nico was super happy and the deal was done. Hopefully it will be a success for Chelsea in the end and for Bayern Munich. Absolutely there was a sense of satisfaction."

He added: "We were fortunate because all of the other deals - like Piero Hincapie to Arsenal and Xavi Simons to Tottenham - were done, so I could give Nico all of my attention, because he really needed it. It was satisfying to get done because I know how big that can be for Nico. Bayern Munich is such a big club."

When questioned if he believed the deal might collapse, Barat said: "Absolutely. At one point, it was certainly under a huge doubt but we just had to keep everyone calm, patient, and in the end, we were in Chelsea's hands. If Chelsea didn't get their replacement, there was a big chance that Nico would have to go back."

The case for the defence

Former Bayern Munich star Hargreaves is convinced that Chelseamust do more to strengthen the centre-back position at the club. He has argued that additional experience is required in the defensive line if the team are to achieve success.

The ex-footballer-turned-pundit believes there is an excellent foundation at Stamford Bridge, but both Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo fall short of the standard set by the remainder of the squad. Speaking on TNT Sports, he said: "If I think back to those Chelsea teams that won everything, they had Petr Cech, [Ricardo] Carvalho, John Terry – that's the basis of any team.

"I think the midfield three is almost as good as anyone – Enzo [Fernandez], [Moises] Caicedo and Cole Palmer – but I still think they'll probably address that in the coming windows.

"I think there's a nucleus there that's going to be really special for Chelsea and today just highlighted that. It's not a criticism, it's just a fact and I thought the two young centre-backs did okay but we're talking about [Luis] Diaz, [Michael] Olise and Kane, some of the top performers.

"It was a big ask for them but mistakes cost them more than anything. But I do think if they can address that centre-back position, even though they've got [Wesley] Fofana and [Levi] Colwill, two fabulous players, I think they need a little bit more experience as one of those players."

Chalobah, unfortunately, netted an own goal within the first 20 minutes of the match, followed by Kane's successful penalty kick seven minutes later due to a challenge from Moises Caicedo in the box. The England skipper added another goal after a careless back-pass from full-back Malo Gusto, sealing a 3-1 victory and handing Chelsea an opening defeat in the Champions League.

Blues remain interested in Rogers

Despite Hargreaves' call for defensive reinforcements, it seems Maresca is keeping his eye on the ball further upfield. Aston Villa's midfielder Morgan Rogers was a summer target for Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham, but a hefty £80million price tag has kept him at Villa Park.

However, Chelsea are reportedly still keen on Rogers, closely monitoring contract discussions between the player and his current club, despite him signing a new deal last year that will keep him at Villa until 2030. This is according to The Sun, who suggest that Villa's failure to secure a Champions League spot could force them to sell their most valuable players due to PSR.

The 23-year-old moved to Villa from Middlesbrough in 2024 for a mere £8m and has since scored 11 goals in 52 appearances for the Villans. Despite a rocky start to the season for both Rogers and Villa, he remains the club's most valuable asset.

If the price is right, the Blues wouldn't hesitate to make another bid for him next summer.