Nicolas Jackson’s agent has revealed the former Chelsea striker was blown away by the level of Arsenal summer signing Noni Madueke in training.
Both Jackson and Madueke sealed moves away from Stamford Bridge over the summer, with the former joining Bayern Munich and the latter move to Arsenal.
Arsenal’s £50m deal for Madueke was heavily scrutinised at the time, with some fans even starting a petition to express their displeasure at the club signing yet another player from Chelsea.
Madueke blew hot and cold in west London and a number of fans expected similar frustration following his move to the Emirates Stadium.
But the 23-year-old has enjoyed a bright start to his Gunners career, impressing in the absence of the injured Bukayo Saka.
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Jackson was of course Madueke’s teammate over the past two seasons and was seriously impressed by his level in training, according to his agent.
Discussing Madueke swapping west for north London, Ali Barat told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s important to make the right steps. You see with Noni how well it’s going for him at Arsenal at the moment.
‘I had dinner with his dad the other day and I’m so happy for them because they’re such a great family.
‘To be honest, the one who told me that Noni was brilliant was Nicolas Jackson. He said, “Ali, this kid is so good. Trust me, he’s so good in training”.’
While Madueke linked up with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, Jackson moved to Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich in the summer.
Bayern paid a significant fee just to sign Jackson on loan for the rest of the season and the Senegal striker will complete a £56m permanent move next summer if certain conditions are met.
Bayern president Uli Hoeness has already suggested Jackson will not meet that criteria, however, and believes he could well end up back at Stamford Bridge.
Asked about the chaos of Jackson’s transfer saga, Barat said: ‘It was very intense. 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.
‘It was satisfying to get done because I know how big that can be for Nico. Bayern Munich is such a big club.’
Asked if he expected the deal to fall through as Chelsea considered blocking the transfer, 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.’
On Jackson’s chances of earning a permanent move to Bayern Munich, Barad added: ‘I really think so, because off the ball, Nico is probably one of the best strikers in the world, if you look at all his data.
‘Now he needs to improve in other aspects of his game, but I think playing with Harry Kane is going to be perfect for him because Harry can help him improve massively.
‘If Nico performs well, in today’s market, when you see what strikers are going for, I hope that £56m for Nico would provide good value for everyone.’
Jackson has made two appearances for Bayern Munich so far and came on as a late substitute in their Champions League win over former club Chelsea on Wednesday night.
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