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Chelsea’s summer transfer window attacking shortlist revealed

By Gabe Henderson

Lille's Canadian forward Jonathan David (L) fights for the ball with Chelsea's French midfielder N'Golo Kante during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between Lille (LOSC) and Chelsea FC at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on March 16, 2022. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Lille's Canadian forward Jonathan David (L) fights for the ball with Chelsea's French midfielder N'Golo Kante during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between Lille (LOSC) and Chelsea FC at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on March 16, 2022. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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RB Leipzig’s French midfielder Christopher Nkunku celebrates after scoring their first goal during the UEFA Europa League Semi-final, second leg football match between Rangers and RB Leipzig at the Ibrox Stadium, in Glasgow, on May 5, 2022. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP)
RB Leipzig’s French midfielder Christopher Nkunku celebrates after scoring their first goal during the UEFA Europa League Semi-final, second leg football match between Rangers and RB Leipzig at the Ibrox Stadium, in Glasgow, on May 5, 2022. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP) /

Christopher Nkunku

There must be something in the water in Leipzig—Red Bull, perhaps? The 13-year-old club has pumped out one young talent after another, especially in the attack. This is something Chelsea knows about all too well after it paid nearly £50 million to the Bundesliga’s newest giant two summers ago to acquire the services of Timo Werner. While the German forward may be one of the individuals out the door this season, that doesn’t seem to be deterring the Blues from dipping into the talent goldmine that is RB Leipzig yet again.

Christopher Nkunku hasn’t advanced through the Red Bull “academy” system like other players have, but he—like Werner—has really found his footing at Leipzig after playing top flight football elsewhere. Whereas Werner got his start with Stuttgart, Nkunku burst onto the scene as a teenager after progressing through the youth ranks at PSG. Things didn’t exactly work out in the French capital, but he’s now turned into one of the most sought after strikers of the summer due to his growth as a professional during his time with Leipzig.

Nkunku has slowly progressed further up the pitch throughout the last three years in Germany. His first season saw him play all over—namely as an attacking, central, left and right midfielder, a winger on both sides and a second striker. The French international netted just five goals, but added an impressive 16 assists during his debut campaign with Leipzig.

Nkunku got his first crack at center forward during his sophomore season. Naturally, his goal tally went up and his assist numbers went down. He recorded seven goals and 11 assists, playing mostly as an attacking midfielder, and occasionally as a second striker and center forward. The departure of Marcel Sabitzer to Bayern Munich saw Nkunku deployed mainly as a talisman up front during the last season. He turned into one of Europe’s most prolific attacking forces under the management of Domenico Tedesco, netting 35 goals and adding 20 assists in 51 matches.

These elite numbers have earned him a near-£60 million price tag as some of the continent’s most prestigious powerhouses begin to circle around Leipzig, waiting to secure his signature. The 24-year-old has continued to display tremendous growth throughout every year of his young career. It doesn’t seem anyone is going to sit around and wait for his next breakout season to come and go. Will Chelsea be able to sign Nkunku after selling some of its current attackers? Only time will tell what the future holds for the Frenchman.

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