Christopher Nkunku has told Chelsea he wants to leave in the summer transfer window after receiving interest from Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
The 27-year-old joined Chelsea in a £52 million deal from RB Leipzig in 2023 but only made 14 appearances in first injury-plagued season at Stamford Bridge.
Nkunku was expected to play a more significant role under Enzo Maresca this season but the French forward has been unable to hold down a regular role in the team and has started just nine games in the Premier League.
Earlier this month, reports in France suggested that Nkunku is already considering his future ahead of the summer window and is targeting a move to a Champions League club.
It’s understood that both Arsenal and Bayern Munich enquired about Nkunku’s availability for the January window and both clubs have retained their interest ahead of the summer.
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According to CF Bayern Insider, Nkunku has now asked to leave Chelsea once the season is over and is looking to leave when the transfer window briefly opens from June 1 to June 10 to accommodate the Club World Cup.
The report adds that Chelsea wanted a €70m (£59.5m) transfer fee for Nkunku in January, which prevented Bayern from making a move.
Nkunku was left out of the matchday squad for Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Fulham on April 20 and was then left on the bench for the 1-0 victory at home to Everton on Saturday.
In an exclusive interview with Metro this month, former Chelsea defender, Frank Leboeuf, urged the Premier League club to cash in on the French forward at the end of the campaign.
‘I think they need to cut their losses and go their separate ways,’ Leboeuf said.
‘It’s best for the club but also the future of the player. Careers are pretty short so you have to react quickly if it doesn’t work.
‘And it can happen like this – sometimes the chemistry doesn’t work. I was very happy to see him come to Chelsea, but it’s never worked. ‘He’s never been able to settle down, maybe because the position he’s been offered wasn’t the right one.
‘It’s always difficult to come from a family club like Leipzig to a club where you have to perform and the pressure is one you always. I had that when I moved from Strasbourg to Chelsea and it’s a big task if you’re not able to cope with the situation.
‘It’s never worked for him but he’s still a good player. He will have to rebound but we’ve seen that before with players like Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah when they left.’
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