'Suddenly You're 1.2 Billion in Debt' -Bayern Chief Defends Nicolas Jackson Loan, Slams Barcelona’s Reckless Spending

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has moved to defend the club’s surprise loan signing of Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, while taking a sharp dig at Barcelona’s debt-ridden transfer strategy.

Speaking on Sport 1’s Doppelpass program, Hoeness criticized what he described as the reckless excesses of the current transfer market.

 He pointed to clubs like Liverpool, who have spent close to half a billion euros this summer, and Barcelona, whose long-standing financial struggles continue to dominate headlines.

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“Max Eberl, our sporting director, would have liked to buy another player, but we know exactly what we have in the bank. That’s just as important as sporting success,” said Hoeness.

“Take Barcelona as an example. If you keep buying, buying, and buying... suddenly you’re 1.2 billion euros in debt. Goodbye!”

Bayern opted against pursuing big-money targets such as Florian Wirtz, who joined Liverpool from Leverkusen for €127 million, or Nick Woltemade, who cost Newcastle United €95 million from VfB Stuttgart.

German media had heavily criticized Bayern’s late-window swoop for Jackson, reporting that the Bundesliga champions had agreed to pay €16.5 million for a one-season loan, with an obligation to buy him for €65 million if he made a certain number of appearances.

But Hoeness strongly rejected those claims, insisting the deal was far more favorable for Bayern.

“For Nicolas Jackson’s loan, the player and his agent contributed €3 million,” he explained. “So we are paying a fee of €13.5 million for this loan.”

He further downplayed the likelihood of the move becoming permanent: “There will certainly not be a permanent transfer. 

“The only way that would happen is if Nicolas plays 40 games as a starter this season, which is almost impossible.”

With Bayern sticking to financial caution in a market dominated by record-breaking spending, Hoeness’ comments underline the club’s belief in sustainable operations—even if it means facing criticism for opportunistic deals like the Jackson loan.