A view of Chelsea’s grandstand at Stamford Bridge during a matchday.
Chelsea could be considering the sale of one of their high-profile signings this summer. INEOS ultimately decided against strengthening Ruben Amorim’s attack in the winter transfer window, even after allowing three forwards to depart on loan.
In fact, Antony and Marcus Rashford made moves from Manchester United to Real Betis and Aston Villa, respectively, while the promising Ethan Wheatley joined League Two leaders Walsall on loan for the rest of the season.
At various points during the window, it seemed that the club was aiming to close a deal; for instance, United were linked with Chelsea’s underperforming striker Christopher Nkunku, who has struggled to make an impact since his £52 million transfer from RB Leipzig.
The 14-cap French international, who has been praised by fellow countryman Thierry Henry for his playing style, is still part of Enzo Maresca’s plans for now, but he could leave Chelsea ahead of the 2025 season.
United expected to target Nkunku again in the summer
Christopher Nkunku playing for Chelsea in a Carabao Cup match.
Nkunku has often played a secondary role to Nicolas Jackson. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Fabrizio Romano confirmed Manchester United’s interest in Nkunku, adding that the player might leave once the 2024/2025 season concludes.
“Nkunku at Chelsea was initially an option for Bayern [Munich] at the start of the market, and United considered him, but he never wanted to leave on loan,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.
“Now, he’s staying at Chelsea. We’ll see how the season progresses, but I suspect Nkunku could leave next summer if a good opportunity arises.”
The 27-year-old became one of Europe’s top strikers during his time at Leipzig, scoring an impressive 35 goals and assisting 15 times in his penultimate season, followed by 23 goals and nine assists in 2022/2023.
This incredible form led Chelsea to invest heavily in his signing, but the transfer has not gone as planned for any party; Nkunku has been beset by persistent injuries over the past year, which prevented him from becoming the team’s main No.9 – a spot now occupied by Nicolas Jackson.
