Transfer News: Chelsea among three clubs to register interest in £62m French star

Chelsea enter the race for RB Leipzig ace Christopher Nkunku amidst Real Madrid interest

According to the French news outlet Foot Mercato (h/t The Express), Chelsea have entered the race to sign RB Leipzig attacker Christopher Nkunku amidst interest from Real Madrid for a future transfer. His form in front of the goal has made him one of the best forwards in the European top five leagues this season.

Nkunku could take the “next step” in his career soon if his current form in Germany cannot earn him a spot in the French national team. He is yet to make his debut under Didier Deschamps, and with the 2022 Qatar World Cup drawing close, the striker could be forced to take a decision regarding his future prospects.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are also monitoring the 24-year-old alongside the Blues and Real ahead of the summer transfer window. All four “prestigious” sides will need to put in a bid of at least £62million if they hope to secure his signature at the end of this term.

Chelsea enter the race for RB Leipzig ace Christopher Nkunku amidst Real Madrid interest.  (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Chelsea would need to spend big to sign Christopher Nkunku. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Possible?

The former PSG man has been terrific this season, having scored 25 goals alongside 13 assists from 37 appearances across all competitions. Bringing him to Stamford Bridge would be a great move on our part, but it could be very difficult considering his current valuation.

Not to mention, the interest from the other European heavyweights could make it tough to prise the Bundesliga star away from Leipzig. That being said, it would not be too much of a reach to say that Thomas Tuchel could help us in this race due to his previous affiliations with him during their time together in Paris.

However, questions can be raised of whether we would go down this route, especially when there are many attackers in the squad. Moreover, it would not make sense to target the Frenchman without any outgoings in the forward department. That is especially the case when we have issues to solve in our defence.

Chelsea enter the race for RB Leipzig ace Christopher Nkunku amidst Real Madrid interest. (Photo by Cathrin Mueller/Getty Images)
Christopher Nkunku is also a target for Real Madrid, Man City and PSG. (Photo by Cathrin Mueller/Getty Images)

More Chelsea News

We do not have any natural backup options for Reece James in the team, whereas Marcos Alonso could also be deemed dispensable as he has not covered himself in glory during Ben Chilwell’s absence. That’s not all, as Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Cesar Azpilicueta are in line to leave us on free transfers at the end of this campaign.

We also have to plan for life after Thiago Silva since he is in the latter stages of his playing career. Malang Sarr still requires time to fully be depended upon, showcasing the need to reinforce our defence. Hence, it would be baffling to see our spend such an amount for Nkunku without any appropriate exits in the attack.