Into the final two years of his contract and admired by elite clubs all over Europe, he is primed to move to a bigger stage next summer - and Chelsea are confident they have stolen a march on their rival suitors.īut what would they be getting if they do sign Nkunku?Īre the ways in which he has succeeded at Leipzig transferable to Chelsea’s system and Premier League football in general, or is there a risk of him struggling in the manner that predecessor Timo Werner did when he swapped that German club for Stamford Bridge two years ago?īefore digging into what Nkunku has done so well for RB Leipzig, it’s worth comparing his statistical profile to the attackers currently at the top of new Chelsea head coach Graham Potter’s pecking order: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz (not necessarily in that order). The current one has started in similarly impressive fashion on a domestic level, with Nkunku scoring six times in eight Bundesliga appearances. He also netted 11 times in 12 matches across the Champions League group stage and Europa League knockout phase, and four in six as Leipzig won the DFB Pokal - Germany’s FA Cup. Nkunku’s breakthrough season a year ago was spectacular, with his 34 Bundesliga appearances yielding 20 goals - only one of which came from the penalty spot - and 13 assists. Chelsea could end up paying more than Nkunku’s reported €60million (£52.7m, $58.8m) release clause to persuade all parties to commit to the deal now, but they feel this level of investment represents good value for a 24-year-old who has blossomed into a prolific goalscorer and dynamic all-round forward in the Bundesliga over the past 18 months.
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