Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku 'pushing to join' Bayern Munich as Stamford Bridge departure gathers pace

Nkunku has struggled to establish himself at Stamford Bridge since he joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023.

The France international was restricted to 14 competitive appearances in his first season due to a number of injury issues.

Nkunku has managed to put those injury problems behind him this season, giving him the opportunity to net 13 goals in 28 matches in all competitions.

However, while that is a respectable tally, Nkunku has had to settle for regular starts in the Conference League, FA Cup and EFL Cup rather than the Premier League.

Nkunku wants Bayern move

In fact, the 27-year-old has featured in a Premier League lineup in just three of his 18 top-flight appearances under Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca.

It now appears that Nkunku could be heading towards an exit despite being under contract at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2029.

According to journalist Florian Plettenburg, Bayern are working on a deal to sign Nkunku after identifying him as the top transfer target for the current window.

The update claims Nkunku is pushing to complete the move 'right away', having already reached a verbal agreement over a long-term contract.

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl is keen to sign the Frenchman on a permanent transfer rather than a loan deal, with the two clubs said to be in discussions over a potential move.

There is a possibility that Mathys Tel could be involved in negotiations due to Chelsea's reported interest in the 19-year-old.

What did Maresca say about Nkunku's situation at Stamford Bridge?

Earlier on Monday, Maresca dropped a potential hint about Nkunku's future, admitting it is difficult to fit him in the side at the same time as Joao Felix and Cole Palmer, with all three players keen to operate in the number 10 position.

"The only thing I've said since the start is it's difficult to play games with so many attacking players," Maresca told reporters ahead of Tuesday's Premier League meeting with Bournemouth.

"If Joao plays it means that Cole doesn't play, or if Joao plays he has to play with Cole together but it depends on the game. For me it's quite easy, we have three players that are more or less similar, Joao and Cole and Christo.

"Joao has played some games, Christo has played, they both played against Ipswich (a 2-0 defeat), they both played Southampton (5-1 win) and Leicester (2-1 win). In some games we can play with them all together but not every game."

With Nkunku subject to transfer interest, there seems a strong chance that he could miss the midweek clash with Andoni Iraola's side.

Written by

Ben Sully