The Frenchman could be allowed to depart for the Bundesliga giants having grown frustrated at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea would be making a mistake
You would be forgiven for having a patchy memory of Christopher Nkunku's Chelsea career to date, because his time at Stamford Bridge has been largely, well, patchy. Through no fault of his own, the French attacker has been limited to just 42 appearances since joining the Blues from RB Leipzig in 2023, and it's possible he won't add many more to that tally.
Despite the unshakeable feeling that there is so much more to come from Nkunku in the blue shirt, the 27-year-old has emerged as a serious target for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in January, with the player open to leaving having grown frustrated over a lack of Premier League game time, even agreeing personal terms, and Chelsea seemingly open to selling.
Nineteen-year-old talent Mathys Tel could be heading in the opposite direction, but this is a deal the west Londoners really shouldn't be entertaining – especially not mid-season.
GettyOver before it's really begun
What will Nkunku's legacy be at Stamford Bridge? It feels incredibly harsh to call him a flop, and there is a sense that – should he leave – this relationship will be over before it's truly been allowed to flourish.
Following a bargain €60 million (£52m/$63m) switch to Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, a serious injury in preseason just days before competitive action got underway effectively wrote off the first half of the Frenchman's debut campaign.
He wouldn't return until Christmas Eve, scoring on his Premier League bow against Wolves, but another setback in February last year meant he only mustered 14 appearances across 2023-24. Nkunku still managed three goals in just 517 minutes of action, though, which works out at fewer than six full matches.
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There was renewed hope that this season would be different after the 27-year-old stayed injury-free in the summer, but Nkunku has been unexpectedly forced out of the picture amid fierce competition for places, with Nicolas Jackson preferred as the central striker and earning the coach's faith with nine goals so far.
The man who many believed would be one of Chelsea's key attacking players has instead had to settle for a starring role in Maresca's 'B team' in the cup competitions, racking up 17 goal involvements in 1,180 minutes (13 full matches) – but just three of those have come in the Premier League.
Nkunku is technically the Blues' joint-highest goal-scorer this season alongside Cole Palmer (13), and there is no doubt that he is one of the club's most potent attacking threats when fit and firing; a deadly penalty box finisher who is also a creative force around it.
But a lack of minutes amid Jackson's form and Maresca's staunch loyalty to the Senegalese striker – even when he's out of sorts – are costing the France international. There have been numerous occasions where Jackson has been playing badly with Nkunku sat on the bench until the final 10-15 minutes, when he has had little time to make an impact. It seems he is running out of patience.
Getty Images SportMaresca's struggle
While the first six months of his tenure were drama-free as Chelsea made smooth progress and even pushed into the top two in the Premier League, some cracks are beginning to show as Maresca tries to appease a squad packed full of both talent and big egos.
The arrival of the winter transfer window has certainly caused some underlying unrest to come bubbling to the surface, with a raft of out-of-favour players pushing for a January exit, including Nkunku.
"We have 25 players that all want to play but it is not possible," Maresca said in a press conference this week. "It is impossible [to keep everyone happy] because the ones that are not playing are not going to be happy.
"Our target is to, first of all, to do the best for the club and the team – that means trying to win games. Also, if we can keep players happy, then we are happy but that is not the reality: the players are happy just if they play and if they don't play, then they are not happy.
"If you told me all the players that are not happy, we would be here with 12 players. Our intention is not to move players." Pressed on whether Nkunku had asked to leave or whether his future had even been discussed, the Italian responded: "No."
Getty ImagesTaken for granted
Last season's injury and his lack of minutes this time around have seen us reach a strange impasse in perceptions of Nkunku; he is not considered to be a star of the team, he could well be deemed expendable and it has arguably been forgotten just how good he is.
Chelsea's €60m capture of the Frenchman 18 months ago was seen as a huge coup – the kind of player the club could build a team around signed for probably around half his true value at the time, courtesy of a release clause.
He arrived at Stamford Bridge off the back of making 32 goal contributions in 36 appearances for RB Leipzig, taking his total statistics with the club to a ridiculous 70 goals and 54 assists in 172 appearances – truly fearsome numbers.
Nkunku has done nothing to suggest he doesn't deserve more opportunities at Stamford Bridge, but it's clear he's not being utilised enough. Alongside Palmer and Moises Caicedo, he is one of few players in the squad who can claim to be truly elite.
As Bayern Munich circle, it would be absolutely no surprise to see him tear it up back in the Bundesliga if he is allowed to leave.
