Chelsea set £35m price tag for 27-year-old forward | OneFootball

Nkunku Faces Chelsea Exit as Premier League Rivals Circle

Chelsea Prepare to Cut Losses on Misfiring Forward

Chelsea’s revolving door of transfer activity has once again begun to spin, and this time it is Christopher Nkunku edging closer to the exit. With the Blues completing big-money deals for Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens, Nkunku finds himself squeezed out of Enzo Maresca’s evolving plans.

Photo: IMAGO

Signed for £52 million in 2023 with the weighty expectations that accompany a former Bundesliga Player of the Year, Nkunku’s West London tenure has failed to catch fire. Just six goals in 36 Premier League appearances, punctuated by recurring injuries and tactical mismatches, have left the Frenchman on the margins.

He did find the net in Chelsea’s Club World Cup last-16 win over Benfica last week, but that glimmer of redemption has done little to reverse the broader direction of travel. The club is now actively offering Nkunku to rivals, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Premier League Clubs Offered Low-Cost Deal

Chelsea are hoping to recoup around £35 million, according to Metro, a significant reduction on the fee they paid. It is a deal that may attract suitors, not least due to Nkunku’s proven ability in European competition and his positional versatility.

Photo: IMAGO

Manchester United have already held talks with Nkunku’s camp, although the recent signing of Matheus Cunha and interest in Bryan Mbeumo suggest they may have moved on. Arsenal, too, have long admired Nkunku’s profile, and while their summer has so far focused on midfield, Mikel Arteta is said to be open to further attacking options.

Tottenham remain in the conversation as well, with Nkunku viewed as a possible alternative to their failed pursuit of Mbeumo. Whether Thomas Frank greenlights such a move remains to be seen.

Chelsea’s Ruthless Reset Continues

Todd Boehly’s Chelsea have shown no reluctance in discarding even high-profile signings when the fit no longer suits. Liam Delap’s arrival for £30 million and the £60 million capture of Pedro from Brighton are the latest moves in a recruitment strategy that appears less concerned with cohesion than with collection.

Photo IMAGO

As sales ramp up to balance the books and streamline the squad, Nkunku joins a list of over a dozen players reportedly up for sale this summer. His exit, once unthinkable, now feels entirely inevitable.

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It is difficult to watch Christopher Nkunku’s time at the Bridge fizzle out with such anticlimax. When he arrived, the hype was legitimate. His goal record at RB Leipzig, his intelligent movement, his slick link-up play – it all suggested Chelsea had landed a player who could define the post-Havertz era.

But football is rarely that simple. Injuries disrupted his momentum, system changes left him isolated, and confidence visibly drained with each passing week. And now, just as Chelsea add two more attacking players in Pedro and Gittens, Nkunku is pushed closer to the door.

Still, there remains a hint of regret. In a more stable, tactically coherent side, could Nkunku still flourish? Perhaps. But the Premier League waits for no one. Chelsea’s machine is built for churn, and the Frenchman, despite his class, has been judged surplus to requirements.

If the club can get £35 million and reinvest it wisely, most fans will understand the rationale. But there is no doubt that this is another example of promise unfulfilled at Stamford Bridge – and in truth, that feeling is all too familiar.