Just when you thought Chelsea’s fortune is finally taking a turn to the better direction this year after last season’s rollercoaster ride, new summer signing Christopher Nkunku has been ruled out until the end of 2023, following the striker’s surgery for his knee injury suffered during the club’s final pre-season game against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago. The 25-year-old Lagny-sur-Marne-born Christopher Nkunku is one of many transfers made by new Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is looking forward to rebuild the West London club in the coming 2023/2024 Season, with other notable names being Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sánchez, etc.
Christopher Nkunku: £52-Million Signing From RB Leipzig
Christopher Nkunku made his professional debut as a teenage player for Paris Saint-Germain back in the 2015/2016 Season. After scoring 11 goals in 78 appearances in all competitions for the French Ligue 1 club, the the forward made a move away from his birth country to join RB Leipzig at German Bundesliga 1, and it was during this tenure when the world started to pay attention to the young French striker. Putting two low-scoring seasons behind him, Christopher Nkunku registered 58 goals in 88 appearances for the German outfit in the next two seasons, helping the club to win two DFB-Pokals and himself to capture the 2022 Germany Footballer of the Year.
With these amazing capabilities at the attacking end, it is not difficult to understand why Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino wasted no time to pen a six-year long-term deal with the footballer as soon as the transfer window was open, and the former Tottenham Hotspur head coach was eager to pair Christopher Nkunku alongside Nicolas Jackson in the 2023/2024 Season, with goals to improve Chelsea’s poor finishing issues seen last year and boost their chances of finishing in a Champions League spot at the end of this season.
The versatile Christopher Nkunku, who can play in multiple attacking positions such as attacking midfielder, second striker and forward, is said to have costed Chelsea a transfer fee of £52 million during the process.
Also Read: PSG Transfer Saga Continues: Gonçalo Ramos Set to Replace Kylian Mbappé for the 23/24 Season
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Chelsea Cannot Catch a Break After Christopher Nkunku’s Injury
Chelsea were in the midst of making their final preparation for the new English Premier League season when they took on Borussia Dortmund in the United States of America. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but new £52-million signing Christopher Nkunku was replaced as early as the 22nd minute, after he was seen in discomfort for minutes due to poor conditions of the pitch.
In a public statement released by the club, Chelsea confirmed that Christopher Nkunku will be missing a significant spell following an operation to his knee injury suffered during the Borussia Dortmund game. “Nkunku has sustained a knee injury which will rule the forward out for an extended period. The 25-year-old has undergone an operation and will now begin a rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical department” was the official news published by the Blues.
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Pochettino “Open” for New Additions
Christopher Nkunku’s absence could be stretched until at least three months, leaving Jackson and 21-year-old Albanian footballer Armando Broja as the only available strikers for Pochettino’s Chelsea against Liverpool in Matchday 1 of the 2023/2024 English Premier League Season. In relation to this, the Argentine gaffer stated that he is now open to sign new attacking players for his club to fill the shoes left by Christopher Nkunku, with popular names such as Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar and Juventus’ €80-million rated Dušan Vlahović, who are on the Blues’ radar for quite some time now, mentioned.
Make sure you stay tuned to otherleague.com for the latest news about the new football season, which will be taking place in a few days’ time.
