Nkunku issues Chelsea warning ahead of summer transfer

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:09 CDT
• 3 min read

RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku has revealed some positional instruction to Graham Potter ahead of his summer move to Chelsea.

Nkunku, 25, will join the Blues once the 2022/23 season concludes after signing a pre-contract agreement to leave the Bundesliga and sign for the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Todd Boehly's arrival as owner last year has already seen a huge spike in investment, with Chelsea's January spending outweighing every club in La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Serie A combined.

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They added David Datro Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix (loan), Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernandez during the winter window, with Boehly making his mark on the Premier League.

Head coach Graham Potter, who replaced Thomas Tuchel just weeks into the current campaign, already has a selection headache thanks to the January arrivals, but this will only be enhanced by the addition of Nkunku this summer.

Furthermore, Felix has been linked with a permanent move once his loan deal expires, with fans noting how quickly he's settled in at the West London club.

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But, the chances of signing the Portuguese star permanently may be damaged by Nkunku's desire to play in the exact same position as Felix.

What has Nkunku said?

Nkunku recently took part in an interview with FootballManager, during which he was informed that 28 percent of FootballManager players use him in an attacking midfield role. He was questioned about that decision, given the fact he's regularly played as a central striker in the past year.

"I think that's a position that suits me well," he said. "Close to the goal behind a striker. That describes me as a player nicely so I always like playing in this role."

Kai Havertz has been Potter's most used option through the middle at the tip of Chelsea's attack, but it remains to be seen if Felix is deployed in that position on the pitch on his return from suspension.

However, Nkunku was perhaps seen as the solution to Chelsea's centre-forward issues after the failed transfers of Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku. That may not be the case, with Nkunku seeing himself as a player most effective behind a striker.

Nkunku has netted 12 goals and grabbed two assists in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, with the majority of his minutes coming in a front two next to either the aforementioned Werner or Andre Silva. He is currently sidelined through the injury that saw him miss the 2022 World Cup.