Christopher Nkunku is not planning to leave Chelsea in January, but if his situation doesn’t improve by the summer he could leave according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.
Nkunku arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2023 from German side RB Leipzig in a deal worth £52m, and a lot of excitement surrounded his move.
The France international had proven in the Bundesliga he was a top quality operator, but things haven’t quite gone to plan at Stamford Bridge.
Nkunku could leave if situation doesn’t improve by next summer
The 26-year-old impressed in pre-season under Mauricio Pochettino but picked up a knee injury which ruled him out for around four months.
Nkunku got himself fit again but suffered further injury issues and was limited to just 14 appearances in all competitions.
It felt like the France international was set for a key role under Maresca after arguably being Chelsea’s best player in pre-season, but he’s not started a Premier League game since the opening day.
Recent reports have suggested Nkunku is unhappy with a back-up role, and Plettenberg has now provided an update on his situation.He took to X.com and said:
“Christopher #Nkunku is currently not planning a transfer this winter. However, the 26y/o’s situation at #CFC is challenging. He is in top form and highly motivated, but despite scoring 10 goals in competitive matches this season, the French striker is not a regular starter.
“If Nukunku‘s situation does not improve by the summer, a departure from Chelsea FC could become a possibility. @SkySportDE.”
Nkunku is Chelsea’s top scorer with ten goals in all competitions, although only one of those has come in the Premier League and Matt Law has claimed nobody would say he deserves to start instead of Nicolas Jackson.
The Frenchman is too good to just be a cup player, although with Jackson’s form it’s hard to see him breaking into the team, but there has to be a way of getting a player of his quality into the team on a more regular basis, otherwise the Blues will lose him.