Chelsea have approached Premier League rivals Aston Villa about signing the player in the January transfer window, with manager Enzo Maresca setting out what is needed to potentially seal a mid-season deal.
Chelsea could sign a new striker this month if Christopher Nkunku leaves
The West Londoners will have to wait until the summer rather than January to sign a new striker after missing out on Napoli star Victor Osimhen, who was ultimately signed on a season-long loan to Galatasaray. It was considered highly likely.
Related article: £42m ex-Man City player considering move to Chelsea
He has welcomed a move to Stamford Bridge.
This is according to trusted journalist Simon Phillips, but in a new development this week, the same source has revealed that if Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku chooses to seriously pursue his departure by February 3 reported that the situation may change.
The Frenchman has been one of Maresca’s top scorers in all competitions and has made a huge impact off the bench and in the Europa Conference League, but he is not a mainstay of Chelsea’s ‘A team’ and has been a major player in the Premier League. He started only three of the 15 games. Number of top flight appearances this season.
Chelsea’s next Premier League match
date
Bournemouth (home)
January 14th
Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)
January 20th
Man City (away)
January 25th
west ham (away)
February 3rd
Brighton (away)
February 14th
This appears to have “frustrated” Nkunku behind the scenes, and although he is not forcing a move at this stage, he is open to leaving Stamford Bridge in the winter (Simon Phillips).
Chelsea have been approached by a number of teams regarding the signing of the 26-year-old and if his move goes through, co-sporting directors Lawrence Stewart and Paul Winstanley are keen to replace him (Simon Phillips). I would seriously pursue it.
The versatile attacker currently earns £195,000-a-week at Cobham, so Chelsea will be looking to save cash by making a significant pay cut for Maresca’s under-used player in the Premier League.
As for who Chelsea will replace Nkunku, it is believed Maresca remains strongly interested in signing Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with the club expected to sign the England Under-21 international. It is a strong candidate to move the city away from Portman Road.
Chelsea approach Aston Villa over signing John Duran in January
According to CaughtOffside this week, Aston Villa starlet John Duran could be mentioned as a possible replacement for Nkunku.
The Colombian, who has scored 12 goals in all competitions, has been a key player for manager Unai Emery and appears to have rejuvenated his career in the Midlands after reportedly coming close to leaving the club last summer. .
Earlier this season, Chelsea officials were keen to keep an eye on the 21-year-old, who was awarded a new £75,000-a-week contract in recognition of his impressive performances in 24/25 games so far.
The CO claim that Chelsea approached Villa in January to negotiate a deal for Duran to assess the potential terms of the deal. Emery’s side clearly won’t sell a dime for less than £60m, and given Duran’s extremely high potential, young age and return this term, this is actually quite a value on paper. It may seem like it is.
However, Chelsea may have to make a decision on their ‘special’ striker soon, with PSG looking to make a big move around Villa’s asking price.
