Christopher Nkunku’s Chelsea future is hanging by a thread. According to The Times, the French international could leave the club this summer.
The 27-year-old was left out of the squad for the 2-1 win against Fulham.
Enzo Maresca said it was a “technical” decision, but it could be one that spells the end of Nkunku’s troubled spell in West London.
Nkunku played the entire 90 minutes three days earlier in the shocking 2-1 defeat against Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge.
He was full fit for Sunday’s game, but Maresca decided to go with Jadon Sancho and academy graduate Tyrique George ahead of Nkunku.
That decision paid off. George came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal, which started Chelsea’s comeback.
Pedro Neto then smashed home a last-minute winner that bolstered Chelsea’s chances of finishing in the Champions League places.
The Blues are focused squarely on finishing in the top five. But Nkunku’s future could be a major talking point once their Champions League bid is over.
The former RB Leipzig star was unsettled earlier in the year. There were even talks of a loan move to one of Bayern Munich or Manchester United, who were showing interest.
A transfer never materialised as Nkunku wanted a permanent move, but that would have been complicated in January. However, he could get his wish this summer.
Chelsea paid £58 million to sign Nkunku from Leipzig back in 2023.
There was plenty of excitement ahead of his debut, but a pre-season injury ruined his early momentum and kept him out for months.
Since returning to action, he has managed 14 goals in 42 games but has struggled to nail down a spot in the starting line-up.
The Frenchman has started just nine Premier League games this season. Maresca previously admitted that fitting Nkunku into his tactical setup has not been straightforward.
He’s not an out-and-out striker. He prefers to play off a central striker, but Cole Palmer’s brilliance has kept him out of his preferred role.
Nkunku still has four years left on his contract. But it’ll be surprising if he doesn’t leave Chelsea this summer.
Read the full article here
