Christopher Nkunku on Chelsea’s Radar After Tuchel’s Request
By Aayush Yadav
Christopher Nkunku has emerged as hot property after a stellar third term with RB Leipzig; the French attacker took the Bundesliga by storm with his 20 goals in 33 appearances this season. As expected, most of Europe’s top clubs are after his signature and the list seems to be never-ending after the latest developments linking him to Chelsea.
Many big clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal have been continuously linked to the player but according to reports from Sky Sport’s reporter Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea is the last team to register their interest in the goal machine with the manager a big fan of him as well.
Thomas Tuchel spent time with Christopher Nkunku during his stint at Paris Saint Germain and is really pushing hard for a deal to happen; the manager has been monitoring his situation for some time and could act in the summer if the player decides to not extend his stay in Germany.
Tuchel couldn’t give Nkunku a long run of consistent starts in the Parisian side and was eventually sold to RB Leipzig in 2019. Now the German is said to be desperate for a reunion at Stamford Bridge. The French starlet has evolved in front of goal and with his gameplay after his torrid time with Paris Saint Germain.
The arrival of Chelsea’s new owners will boost the hopes of a Christopher Nkunku’s deal
With no release clause in his contract and with it expiring in 2024 only, this deal isn’t going to be a cakewalk for the Blues to pull off. Added to the problems in trying to lure Nkunku to Stamford Bridge, Leipzig are unwilling to sell and are readying a new deal for him.
They will have to spend a big chunk of money to make this wish come true for Tuchel. Currently, the new owners are expected to be on board with potential incomings; Todd Boehly will provide the much-needed financial muscle to make it happen.
If we talk about the London club’s current squad: it does have some talented attacking options in the form of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and others but there is uncertainty over the future of some of these players.
Some players in West London have underperformed while others feel they need more game time and can get it elsewhere. Christopher Nkunku will be a perfect addition to Chelsea’s already powerful attacking line and will provide the competition and cover needed for players at Stamford Bridge already.
If a deal does take place, he will follow Timo Werner from Saxony to West London but will be hoping he has a better turnaround following rather underwhelming performances for Werner since he joined them for a reported fee of €53m.