Liverpool are the Premier League champions. On the other hand, it is uncertain whether Chelsea will even finish in the Champions League qualification spots. Common sense would suggest that it is the Blues who would want players from the Anfield club. Instead, it looks like one of their strugglers is on the radar of Arne Slot's side.
Chelsea have a lot of talent on their books but they simply have not found the best way to utilise it. The perfect example of that is Christopher Nkunku.
When Nkunku was signed by the club, there was a lot of excitement around the move. He showed plenty of promise early on as well and the expectation was that he would become one of the faces of this Chelsea team.
Unfortunately, that has not turned out to be the case. Instead, Nkunku has mostly played as a substitute in the Premier League and most of his minutes have come in cup games. Even with Cole Palmer struggling in the second half of this season, we have not seen any growth in the Frenchman's impact. But that has not stopped Liverpool from being linked with him.
Liverpool open talks to sign Chelsea player this summer
As reported by Foot Mercato, Nkunku is on a shortlist drawn up by Liverpool, with whom talks have begun. Bayern Munich and Newcastle United are also interested.
Nkunku remains an effective performer and has scored 14 goals for Chelsea this season. But in games of importance, he has been found lacking. That is a problem because those are the occasions when big names like him need to shine.
Perhaps it is Chelsea's system that is to be blamed for Nkunku's struggles. After all, even Palmer, who was a top 10 player in the world for his first one-and-a-half seasons with the club, has looked like a shell of his former self lately.
Liverpool have a habit of getting the most out of their players. Perhaps a move there is exactly what Nkunku needs. But then, should Chelsea consider the idea of strengthening a team they would ideally like to compete with for the title in the near future?