MY ACCOUNT
Christopher Nkunku is German football’s hottest property — and Chelsea look to have landed the RB Leipzig star.
The 24-year-old posted some sensational numbers last term, picking up the Bundesliga Player of the Season award after scoring 20 goals and providing 13 assists.
And he is showing no signs of slowing down in 2022-23, netting seven times in just 10 league outings.
Ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Aston Villa this afternoon, we look at how the Frenchman will fit in at Stamford Bridge.
London calling
Nkunku penned a two-year contract extension with Leipzig as recently as June — but a move to London already appears to be on the cards.
The Parisian forward has reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement with Chelsea, whereby he will make the switch to Stamford Bridge next summer.
Graham Potter’s side are believed to have agreed a fee in excess of his £52.7million release clause, in order to secure Nkunku’s services.
That will place him comfortably inside Chelsea’s top 10 most expensive transfers.
A sharpshooter
Since his departure from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, Nkunku has enjoyed a fruitful three-year spell in Germany’s top flight.
His side finished fourth in the table last season — largely due to his tally of 20 league goals, which was only surpassed by striking sensations Robert Lewandowski (35), Patrik Schick (24) and Erling Haaland (22).
His record is even more impressive this term, with an average of 0.78 goals per 90 minutes, ahead of Matchday 10. That is higher than the 0.66 strikes per 90 he registered in 2021-22.
Deschamps delight
Following his first call-up to the France national team last season, manager Didier Deschamps heaped praise on Nkunku — and spoke about how he can be deployed.
He said: “When it comes to goals and assists, he [Nkunku] has excellent statistics.
“His positioning has changed a bit. He started as more of a wide player, but today he’s much more central, acting as a striker or second striker for Leipzig.
“He has a lot more freedom and he’s closer to the goal, which has made him much more decisive. So of course, we’ll try to use him in a similar way.”
More than a goalscorer
Not only is Nkunku a constant goal threat — he has also exhibited an eagerness to facilitate his team-mates.
Leipzig’s No18 created 64 chances last term, which was only bettered by three other Bundesliga players.
And 16 of those chances were clear-cut scoring opportunities, which placed him inside the division’s top eight performers for that metric.
He was also able to frequently beat defenders when in possession, completing 66 take-ons from 99 attempts — a commendable success rate of almost 67%.
A versatile option
Chelsea have scored 13 league goals in 2022-23 — the 10th-most in the division prior to Matchday 11 and some way behind top-four rivals Manchester City (33), Arsenal (23) and Tottenham (22).
Nkunku would immediately boost the Blues’ goal threat, while his versatility could see him operate as an attacking midfielder, wide forward or second striker.
This would give manager Potter an array of offensive options to choose from, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Kai Havertz already in his ranks.
Not only would Nkunku add ruthlessness in the final third — but his link-up play would knit a potentially devastating front line together.
Supporters at Stamford Bridge will wait with bated breath for the French star’s pending arrival in the summer.
