Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign a £77m forward in a swap deal involving forward Christopher Nkunku, according to a report.
Nkunku's Chelsea future
Nkunku has found minutes hard to come by in the Premier League so far this season, with his game time mainly being limited to cameo appearances off the bench, which has cast doubt over his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
Intermediaries are set to open talks with Nkunku over a move away from west London, but manager Enzo Maresca has been quick to quash any rumours that his player is unsettled, saying:
“No, not at all. I spoke to Christo days ago and he did not say he was unhappy. For sure, he would like to play minutes but like many players. We have so many games, especially in December.”
The Chelsea boss has also made it clear he does not want the 27-year-old to leave in the January transfer window, saying: “I completely want Christo to stay with us; I don’t have any idea to let him leave in January.”
Chelsea’s next five Premier League games
Date
Southampton (a)
December 4
Tottenham Hotspur (a)
December 8
Brentford (h)
December 15
Everton (a)
December 22
Fulham (h)
December 26
The manager explained that it is difficult to find a place for the Frenchman in the starting XI at present, given that he has so many options at his disposal, naming the likes of Cole Palmer, Joao Felix and Noni Madueke, but the rumours of an exit won’t go away.
Randal Kolo Muani could join Chelsea in swap deal
Despite Maresca’s reluctance to sell, there could soon be an interesting proposition on the table, with The Boot Room reporting that Paris Saint-Germain are keen to take Nkunku back to the Parc des Princes.
The forward is concerned by his lack of opportunities at Stamford Bridge, although he is yet to give up on his Chelsea career and wants to fight for a place in the team.
The report states that PSG could be willing to swap £77m signing Randal Kolo Muani for the former RB Leipzig man, which could be a deal that works for all parties, although the Blues are not expecting any movement in January.
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Although Nkunku, a 14-time France international, is yet to set the world alight in a Chelsea shirt, he has shown some promising signs when given the opportunity this season, scoring five goals in four Conference League outings.
As such, it may be unwise to let the £195k-p/w forward leave in January, although there are indications that Kolo Muani could be a solid addition to Maresca’s squad.
Kylian Mbappe has previously lauded his international teammate, saying: “He is a striker who offers different game options to our team. He is very complete and has an impressive volume of play.”
However, Maresca has made it clear he wants Nkunku to stay, meaning it is unlikely a move comes to fruition this winter.