The Blues are keen to add RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku to their ranks. The Frenchman enjoyed a breakout season in the Bundesliga and was named the player of the competition for the 2021/22 season.
The Frenchman was named Bundesliga’s Player of the Season despite Leipzig finishing just fourth in the league; Nkunku had a hand in 33 goals in 34 appearances, 20 of which he scored, while the other 13 he set up for his teammates, in less than 3000 minutes. His stellar form has attracted attention, with several of Europe’s top clubs monitoring his situation closely.
As per Goal, Chelsea will attempt to disrupt Nkunku’s scheduled contract talks with Leipzig in an effort to lure him to Stamford Bridge. However, the Blues would need to free up room first in attack; the Premier League side has a bloated squad at present with several underperforming attackers on high wages, including the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Romelu Lukaku.
However, the report continues, the 2020/21 Champions League winners might find it difficult to find suitors for some of those big-name players and could have to resort to selling academy talents such as Armando Broja. The Albanian spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Southampton, where he impressed despite difficult circumstances. Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he wishes to work closely again with the 20-year-old in pre-season before deciding the next steps.
Meanwhile, recent rumors indicate that the futures of Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are also up in the air. Timo Werner, as per Goal, was a transfer target of Borussia Dortmund, but the German side has decided to look elsewhere for the moment. Lukaku, meanwhile, continues to be linked with a transfer away from Stamford Bridge, just a year on after signing for his former club in a record deal.
One or more of Chelsea’s attackers might be required to leave before the club can begin to work on bringing Nkunku in. However, the club’s priority remains to fix its defense which is set for some major overhaul this summer with Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Marcos Alonso all set to leave.
