OFFICIAL: Chelsea confirm €42m sale which clears way for more attacking transfers | OneFootball

Chelsea have confirmed the sale of Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan as the Blues continue their squad restructure as the window draws to a close.

Nkunku moves on

Fabrizio Romano confirms Christopher Nkunku’s move to AC Milan.

The sale was a long process, even if the Milan deal came together quite quickly. It has been clear since about January that Nkunku was keen to go, and since then there have been lots of rumours.

Bayern Munich and a return to RB Leipzig were mentioned a lot this summer, but neither really made a concrete move, and in the end Milan have their man for an initial £37m, with a potential €5m in add-ons taking it to €42m, according to Fabrizio Romano.

His replacement Alejandro Garnacho was present at Stamford Bridge yesterday for the game against Fulham.

Nkunku injury means his Chelsea career never got started

Football often comes down to “sliding doors” moments, where one small difference leads to a totally different outcome far down the line. There are few better examples than Nkunku. His first preseason saw him installed as the creative hub of the newly appointed Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

He looked great, as did the team. But a serious knee injury picked up in the final preseason game ruled him out until Christmas. That derailed all our best laid plans, and the team took a while to get back together after that, seriously damaging Pochettino’s chances of a successful season.

It also created the space for Cole Palmer to emerge. Once Nkunku was back, the youngster had established himself, and the 18 months since Nkunku’s return have just seen him struggling for minutes ahead of the team’s talisman.

A move to Milan makes sense for Nkunku, and while it leaves Chelsea a little short of attacking options in the short term, it’s a move we’ve expected for a long time.