'Precious' Nkunku ready to make Chelsea forget about Osimhen

Tom Weber

• Updated: 11 Oct 2024 04:34 CDT
• 4 min read

Christopher Nkunku was a standout performer as France beat Israel on Thursday.

The Chelsea attacker produced a spectacular piece of skill - Cruyff-turning through three defenders - to score his first-ever goal for Les Bleus as they cruised past their opponents on the day.

It wasn't a vintage performance, but France won 4-1 and Nkunku was the star of the show, continuing the good form he has shown when given chances at Chelsea.

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After a dismal debut season ruined by injuries, Nkunku has now offered glimpses in west London that he is ready to become one of their main attacking threats. The problem that he and the Blues' other forwards face is, of course, the sheer number of options that coach Enzo Maresca has at his disposal.

However, the Frenchman possesses a skill set that sets him apart from any other Chelsea attacker and Maresca would be well-advised to heed the calls of fans to play Nkunku more.

Nkunku has a 'rare' talent

So far this season, the 26-year-old has only started once in the Premier League, but his performances in Europe and the Carabao Cup have convinced many supporters that he ought to play an outsized role as a starter for the club.

Nkunku has netted seven goals in his limited minutes, but it is his overall play that makes him such a valuable asset. He is a versatile forward, who started out as an attacking midfielder as a youngster before getting moved out wide and to the striker position where he has become increasingly reliable in front of goal.

He is far from a traditional number nine. Like Nicolas Jackson, he is quick off the mark, but his real strength is his intelligence and technical ability. For France, he started on the left wing and ran the show.

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L'Equipe described his performance thus: "Placed on the left, the Chelsea striker was the one through whom the (very rare) [offensive] light arrived. Always available between the lines, precise in his orientations, Nkunku was a constant animator.

"What is precious about 'Christo' is this rare profile. [Antoine] Griezmann's international retirement opens a spot for creativity. The ex-Parisian, whatever his position, with his technical accuracy and his intelligence of play, can provide a real answer."

Didier Deschamps also hailed the 26-year-old for his outing: "Even if he does not play every match, I found him with juice, freshness with Chelsea, with us too. He did good things on the left, and in support of [Randal] Kolo Muani, too. He has significant potential, he was slowed down by injuries."

With two in-form strikers in Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku - who can also provide a spark out wide - it begs the question whether Chelsea really do need to splash the cash on a big-name No.9 like Victor Osimhen.

Given the lavish spending since the Todd Boehly takeover and increasingly stringent financial regulations, the Blues may be better off using the €75 million they would have to shell out for the Nigerian to solve different problems. The striker position clearly is not an issue anymore.