Despite spending over £300million in January, the Blues’ next permanent deal has already been decided with Christopher Nkunku joining on a pre-contract agreement

Christopher Nkunku will join Chelsea from RB Leipzig ahead of the 2023/24 season (Image: (Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images))

Since Todd Boehly took over Chelsea in May 2022, six attackers have been brought to the club costing the Blues a total of £172million. Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived in the summer and six months later were joined by David Datro Fofana, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke.

With Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech already at the club and occupying similar positions, Graham Potter faces many tough decisions, particularly regarding the Champions League, as to who becomes part of his starting attack. That dilemma is already tough enough for the Blues boss and it won’t get any easier in the summer when attacking signing number seven joins.

Christopher Nkunku is set to arrive from RB Leipzig ahead of the 2023/24 season after the two clubs reached a pre-contract agreement. That deal, which was agreed towards the end of 2022, will set Chelsea back just over £50million and sees the Frenchman remain in Germany until the end of the season.

Felix is of course on loan until the summer from Atletico Madrid and therefore, assuming no attempts are made to sign him permanently, his exit and Nkunku’s arrival could be seen as one in and one out at Stamford Bridge. Although several attackers are now under contract in west London, a striker is still on the wish list of Todd Boehly.

Kai Havertz is currently the man deployed at the tip of the attack, although many are unsure whether that is his best position. The same thoughts have also been prominent regarding Nkunku who has played on the left of the front line and also as a lone striker during his spell at Leizpig.

In an interview with Football Manager, the 25-year-old was told 28 percent of FM players deploy him in an attacking midfield role and his answer to that stat sent a clear message to Potter ahead of his proposed arrival.

“I think that’s a position that suits me well,” he said. “Close to the goal behind a striker. That describes me as a player nicely so I always like playing in this role.”

source: www.football.london