Chelsea ready to sell Christopher Nkunku as Arsenal and United circle

Nkunku’s Chelsea stay nears an early end

Christopher Nkunku is expected to leave Chelsea this summer after a season marked by injury setbacks, tactical misfit and inconsistent minutes. The French forward, who joined from RB Leipzig in 2023 for £52 million, has not established himself under new manager Enzo Maresca and is now seeking a move away from Stamford Bridge.

According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Nkunku has made a definitive decision to depart, with Chelsea open to the move. As reported by The Hard Tackle, the club are looking to recoup the fee they initially paid and reinvest it in the summer rebuild.

Performance not matching expectations

When Christopher Nkunku joined Chelsea, expectations were sky-high — both from the club and the supporters. The Frenchman’s output in Germany had signaled the arrival of a player capable of making a major impact in the Premier League. Yet since arriving in London, Nkunku has only shown glimpses of his potential in isolated moments and has struggled to meet the level demanded of him consistently.

This season, he featured in 27 Premier League matches but managed only 3 goals and 2 assists. His performances in other competitions were more productive: in the UEFA Conference League, he registered 7 goals and 3 assists across 11 appearances, playing a key role in Chelsea’s continental campaign. He also netted once in 2 FA Cup outings and struck 3 goals in 2 EFL Cup matches.

While his league form was underwhelming, his contributions in cup competitions demonstrated his capability in less rigid tactical environments. Nevertheless, this mixed profile appears insufficient in the eyes of head coach Enzo Maresca. Questions surrounding his tactical fit, lack of consistency, and restricted opportunities in central roles have likely influenced the club’s openness to a potential sale.

Maresca’s system and Nkunku’s limitations

Enzo Maresca has consistently deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation since taking over at Chelsea, building his system around structured transitions and positional discipline. In this setup, the two holding midfielders provide stability and ball progression, while the No.10 is expected to orchestrate attacks through the middle with creativity and intelligent distribution. Out wide, the emphasis is placed on pace, width, and one-on-one ability — traits typically associated with traditional wingers.

However, this structure appears misaligned with Christopher Nkunku’s natural attributes.During his time at RB Leipzig, Nkunku thrived in a more liberated central role — operating between the lines, exploiting pockets of space, and linking play with fluid off-the-ball movement. His best performances have come when he’s allowed to roam centrally, without the positional restrictions that come with being stationed on the flank.

Nkunku is not a classic winger, nor is he a traditional centre-forward. He is best described as a free-roaming second striker, capable of reading the game and exploiting transitions with sharp timing. After returning from injury at Chelsea, he was occasionally deployed on the left wing — a tactical choice that effectively neutralised his influence.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson publicly criticised this approach, insisting that Nkunku should be deployed exclusively behind the striker. Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson said: “Christopher Nkunku is not a winger. I feel sorry for him. I like him — I think he’s a good player. He plays behind the frontman, that’s his position.” Merson went on to explain that Nkunku is an intelligent footballer who links play well, but his abilities are stifled when he's pushed out wide — especially with Cole Palmer’s emergence further limiting central opportunities.

Valuation and Premier League interest

The expected asking price is in the region of £65 million, according to reports from The Times, TeamTalk and CaughtOffside. Chelsea are reportedly willing to sanction the sale as part of broader financial and tactical restructuring. Football Insider confirms that Maresca’s staff see Nkunku as an ill-fitting component in their preferred system, and are planning accordingly.

Arsenal are among the clubs monitoring the situation. As reported by JustArsenal, Mikel Arteta admires Nkunku’s ability to operate in multiple attacking roles — a trait aligned with the positional interchangeability at the core of Arsenal’s front line. Having previously signed Jorginho, Kai Havertz, David Luiz and Willian from Chelsea, the North London side may view Nkunku as a more tactically suited and dynamic addition.

United discussions and Bayern rejection

Manchester United held exploratory talks over a potential swap deal involving Alejandro Garnacho, as reported on the Sky Sports Transfer Show. However, discussions with Chelsea did not progress and ultimately stalled.

During the January window, Nkunku was briefly mentioned in speculative reports linking him to Bayern Munich as part of a potential exchange involving Mathys Tel. However, a report published by Kicker on 14 January 2025 made clear that Bayern had no interest in reinforcing their attack at that time. In that piece, Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund stated:

"Wenn es so ist, dass wir weiter so in die Saison gehen – und das ist unser Plan –, dann ist das kein Thema, dass wir in der Offensive wen dazu holen."

(Translation: "If the plan remains to continue the season as is — and that’s our intention — then adding another offensive player is not a subject of discussion.")

Strategic implications for Chelsea

Nkunku’s departure would not only free up space in Maresca’s evolving tactical blueprint but also contribute to Chelsea’s financial fair play alignment, especially considering amortisation and salary balancing over a seven-year contract. His inconsistent role, combined with a growing desire to play regularly, makes an exit increasingly likely. The presence of Premier League suitors such as Arsenal and United sets the stage for a potential bidding battle, one that could define the summer transfer narrative in English football.