Christopher Nkunku could be the most current big dollars signing at Chelsea right after the RB Leipzig forward was unveiled to have undergone a top secret medical throughout the summer season ahead of a shift next year.
The Frenchman was viewed as a person of the brightest skills on the market and won the Bundesliga Player of the Season immediately after scoring 20 goals final yr.
Nkunku turned down interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United to signal a new deal at Leipzig until eventually 2026 which is rumoured to include a release clause of €60 million.
On the other hand, despite Nkunku showing up to dedicate his long run to Leipzig, a report from German outlet Bild claims Chelsea conducted an initial clinical check for the 24-calendar year-previous throughout the summer.
Should really the Blues stop up beating their rivals to Nkunku’s signature, FootballTransfers requires a glance at how the French international could slot into Graham Potter’s facet.
Potter’s flexibility with Nkunku
With Potter getting only managed just one game for his new facet because his appointment in September, it remains to be noticed irrespective of whether he will go on with the 3 centre-back process employed by previous boss Thomas Tuchel or if he operates with a back again-4.
Potter might choose to use a variant of the 3-4-2-1 he normally lined up with in the course of his time at Brighton supplied Chelsea’s recruitment of defenders Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and previous Seagull Marc Cucurella in the course of the summer time.
Component of the purpose players these as Cucurella have been signed was due to their fluidity to adapt to a multitude of techniques and, with Chelsea lacking a natural left-footed centre-again, the Spaniard could attribute in that position with Ben Chilwell now returning from a very long-phrase harm.
In the long run the staff utilised in defence will likely be rotated among the new arrivals and veterans Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta, with Reece James the only authentic ‘lock’ at right wing-back again.
Potter made use of a central midfield pairing of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in the course of his 1st game in charge in opposition to RB Salzburg but N’Golo Kante will possible switch the latter the moment the Frenchman returns to health.
Raheem Sterling will definitely retain a 1st team spot on the wing after netting 4 goals in his very first eight online games for Chelsea and Mason Mount will most likely be chosen to Kai Havertz on the reverse flank thanks to the German’s unconvincing performances.
Chelsea’s achilles heel in the past calendar year has been their deficiency of firepower up entrance, that’s why the desperation to indication Nkunku right after his 35 goals in all competitions final season.
Irrespective of the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the summer, the 34-12 months-previous was generally viewed as a prevent-hole and Nkunku’s arrival will probable see the Gabonese forward ousted from the starting up line-up.
The relegation of Aubameyang and Havertz to the bench, as nicely as the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Conor Gallagher indicates Potter will have the chance to alternate to a back again-four when he sees healthy.
Nkunku’s flexibility will also permit Chelsea to enjoy him out large or further behind an additional ahead, earning the signing a no-brainer and probably solving the Blues’ long-expression goalscoring woes.
