Christopher Nkunku as their first signing under new manager Ruben Amorim in the January transfer window.
Nkunku has been in excellent form this season, scoring 10 goals in 17 appearances.
However, the French forward’s Premier League playtime has been minimal, with most of his appearances restricted to the Europa League and Carabao Cup. His only Premier League start came on opening day in August.
With Maresca’s deep squad, Chelsea has been able to use entirely different line-ups for midweek European games. Nkunku, along with Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk, has seen most of his minutes in those competitions.
In the Premier League, Maresca has opted for Cole Palmer as a first choice, with Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, and Nicolas Jackson also favored in attack.
According to L’Equipe, this situation has left Nkunku dissatisfied, and he is now rethinking his future with Chelsea.
Manchester United is reportedly among the clubs interested in signing the former RB Leipzig player. The club is actively exploring transfer options for January as Amorim assumes control at Old Trafford.
Scoring has been a concern for United, with their recent 3-0 win over Leicester City marking just the second time they have scored more than two goals in a league game this season.
The report suggests that Chelsea might be open to allowing Nkunku to depart in January. Although Nkunku hasn’t officially requested to leave, several clubs, including United, have been inquiring about his availability.
This season, Nkunku has scored six goals in Chelsea’s Europa Conference League games, where he has been a consistent starter.
L’Equipe also notes that Nkunku did not join Chelsea in 2023 to serve as a backup player and play primarily in Europe’s third-tier competition.
In Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, Nkunku came on for the last two minutes, totaling only 154 minutes of Premier League action so far this season.
