Chelsea have already signed Nkunku's replacement
Tom Weber
- Updated: 8 Aug 2023 16:39 BST
- 4 min read
Chelsea may not need to dip into the market for a Christopher Nkunku replacement.
The summer arrival will be out for an extended period of time after being forced to undergo surgery. The Frenchmen suffered meniscus damage during Chelsea's tour of the US. Playing on a terrible pitch against Borussia Dortmund at Soldier Field in Chicago, Nkunku had to come off in the first half.
Initially thought to be a relatively minor worry, it ultimately turned out to be a serious injury and the Blues will have to make do without the forward for the foreseeable future. Though Chelsea have already shown that they are not afraid to replace their injured big-money signings with equally pricey players when they signed Axel Disasi for €45 million to deputise for Wesley Fofana, they may not need to do the same in this case.
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Having spent €60m to prise Nkunku away from RB Leipzig, the Blues would be better served not splashing more cash on a short-term replacement when they have options available that they could put their faith in.
Who could replace Nkunku?
Against Dortmund, Nkunku lined up on the left, though the Frenchman is an incredibly versatile attacker who can play all over the frontline. If Mauricio Pochettino truly sees Nkunku as a left-winger, the most obvious replacement would be Mykhailo Mudryk who has impressed in pre-season.
Should the Argentine consider the 25-year-old more of a ten or second striker, Carney Chukwuemeka needs to get a shot at deputising for Nkunku. The 19-year-old actually started in that position against Dortmund and he too has impressed in pre-season.
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The Blues coughed up €18m last season to land the Austria-born England international and should put their faith in the youngster. His ceiling is sky-high and an extended run in the team could do wonders for his development after featuring in fewer than 350 Premier League minutes last term.
