Are Chelsea signing the next Werner & Havertz in Nkunku & Moukoko?

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:14 CDT
• 5 min read

Timo Werner and Kai Havertz were two of the Bundesliga's very brightest before they were snapped up by Chelsea in 2020 and their career took a downward turn.

The former failed to live up to the hype that surrounded him at RB Leipzig, with a lack of confidence in front of goal and limited technical quality needed to help break down deep defences two major reasons while the move didn't work out.

While, on the other hand, Havertz has impressed in fits and spurts, including scoring the winner in the 2021 Champions League, but has mostly been unable to become a reliable presence for the Blues, despite his obvious talent.

READ: Why Omari Hutchinson deserves Chelsea chance over out-of-form Havertz

So, it would be fair to say that Chelsea's recent exploits into the Bundesliga transfer market, specifically in attacking areas, hasn't exactly been fruitful.

But, that hasn't dissuaded the Blues, who are set to dip back into the German top flight to add two new forwards to bolster their attack.

Christopher Nkunku and Youssoufa Moukoko could become the latest two attackers to join Chelsea from the Bundesliga, with reports suggesting that the Stamford Bridge side are pursuing deals for the pair in the 2023 summer transfer window, but that could be fast-tracked to January due to Armando Broja's injury.

READ: How Chelsea beat ‘many clubs’ to sign Nkunku

It begs the question, will Nkunku and Moukoko bare a striking resemblance to their predecessors Werner and Havertz, or will they be outright success stories for Chelsea?

Christopher Nkunku

Naturally, Nkunku has drawn comparisons to Werner given the pair are both at RB Leipzig and have many of the same traits.

The one outstanding quality seen with Werner in the Bundesliga, before he joined Chelsea, was his threat in behind thanks to his searing pace. The Germany international scored a hatful through running in behind and utilising the fact that Bundesliga teams tend to deploy a high line.

With less space to run in behind in the Premier League, Werner struggled, which is a fear with Nkunku. After netting 35 goals and assisting a further 20 in all competitions last season, links with a move away aren't surprising and although he also scored plenty of goals by well-timed runs in behind defences, he has much more nuance to his game.

Upon joining Leipzig from boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain, Nkunku was most often found either on the left flank or in the No.10 position. His creativity was his most recognisable trait, with the Frenchman able to pick up pockets of space in between the lines before releasing inch-perfect passes, often into the path of Werner.

In fact, in their one season together at Leipzig before Werner joined Chelsea, Nkunku laid on 15 Bundesliga assists, with five of those for Werner. Then, when Werner left, he began pushing up the field before becoming a centre-forward in the 2021/22 campaign.

However, he is also capable of operating behind a focal point or out wide if needed, meaning he is able to plug multiple holes. Unlike Werner, Nkunku has the technical ability to play in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to deal with the physical nature, which is something Havertz has often struggled with.

Youssoufa Moukoko

This time last year, Moukoko was very much still a kid playing a man's game. He had talent, as seen by the fact he was picking up minutes as a 16-year-old, but he wasn't fully developed by any stretch of the imagination.

Fast forward to the present day, however, and he has bulked up and certainly filled out the shirt. Furthermore, he's been trusted as Borussia Dortmund's replacement for Erling Haaland - not an easy man to try and replicate.

But, Moukoko has done a fine job so far. In just 14 league appearances so far this term, the Germany international has scored six goals and assisted a further four as Dortmund sit in sixth place in the table. And, it's worth noting that he is still just 18 years old, so he's far from hitting his peak.

In fact, it may be 10 years before Moukoko becomes the best version of himself because the late-20s is when a striker usually hits top form. As a result, signing him would be an investment for the future as well as the present for Chelsea.

David Ornstein has reported that Chelsea are currently working on a deal to bring the young German to Stamford Bridge in the summer, although a move in January can't be ruled out as the Blues don't want to miss out like they did on the aforementioned Haaland.

While Moukoko could be the latest case of a wonderkid bursting onto the scene too soon before fizzling out, such as Freddy Adu, Bojan Krkic or Hachim Mastour, the early evidence suggests that might not be the case.

Now physically capable of bullying the biggest and best in the Bundesliga, as seen in Dortmund's 2-2 against Bayern Munich, Moukoko is good enough to play at the highest level and Chelsea could be the perfect next step.

A move wouldn't be without risk, but from evidence seen so far, both Nkunku and Moukoko appear better equipped to deal with Premier League football than Werner and Havertz, and seem less reliant on the structure of how Bundesliga teams defend in order to succeed.

However, only time will tell.