Chelsea are interested in RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku.
That is according to The Guardian, who report that the Blues see him as a transfer target.
Thomas Tuchel is looking to bring new forwards to Stamford Bridge and is willing to sell current ones such as Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic to do so.
The Guardian also reported that it would take a huge fee to make Leipzig sell the 24-year-old, whose market value has rocketed this season from £38.7m to £72m.
The west London club also have other targets if they cannot sign the France international, such as Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.
With that in mind, how does Nkunku compare to the 27-year-old?
Christopher Nkunku
The former PSG attacker has had a wonderful season, scoring 31 goals in all competitions.
He also provides more than goalscoring, with only four players in Europe’s top five leagues with more assists.
His performances this season made his former manager Jesse Marsch claim that the 5 foot 9 talisman has “no weaknesses”.
“We have spoken to Christopher a lot about playing on the counter, and also what he needs to do to play as a striker, a number ten and on both wings. Christopher has no weaknesses. He is young and still wants a lot more.
“It’s always a good thing when a young player listens to the things we say and also wants to implement them. Working with him is a lot of fun as he is really intelligent and has a lot of potential.”
The £51k-per-week ace has carried the Leipzig attack this campaign. Alongside having the most goals and assists, he also leads the way in shots, key passes, and dribbles per game.
His WhoScored rating of 7.64 can only be bettered by Robert Lewandowski in the Bundesliga.
Raheem Sterling
With the England international, Chelsea would be getting a proven Premier League player.
He has scored 109 goals in the league, with the 13 he got last season enough to have made him the Blues’ top scorer.
His ability to maintain a continuous level of high performance in recent years has caused former teammates Daniel Sturridge to brand him “world-class”.
“I don’t think it’s spoken about enough at just how brilliant he has been, consistently throughout the last three or four seasons.
“He’s shown real growth and maturity in how he’s playing the game, working hard while positionally and tactically he’s been brilliant.
“He’s scoring goals as well which is one thing people would not have thought he could do consistently.
“He’s doing everything that is asked of him, on and off the pitch – doing everything that can be asked of a world-class player. I’ve been blown away by how he’s been playing.”
He is continuing to demonstrate his quality this year as well, being in the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals, pass accuracy, and carries into the penalty area.
Our Verdict
Both players would improve Tuchel’s side. Nkunku and Sterling can also play in a variety of positions.
Chelsea should then go for the player that is the best value for money. With a market value of £63m, the former Liverpool winger would be the cheaper option.
Furthermore, with only a year left on his contract, he could be bought for potentially even less.
He also looks more likely to leave his current club, as the 27-year-old has fallen down the pecking order in Pep Guardiola’s side. This campaign was the first since 2015-16 that the England international has made less than 25 starts in the league.
With that in mind, if Chelsea want to save money then they should go for Sterling over Nkunku.
AND in other news, Tuchel dealt Chelsea transfer blow over “special” £54m-rated target…
Be beautiful enough to feast the eyes
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