Chelsea misfit makes final transfer decision amid rival Premier League interest | OneFootball

Chelsea's misfiring forward Christopher Nkunku has decided to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, a new report has claimed.

The French striker has scored as many goals this season as Cole Palmer - a squad-leading 14 - yet almost all of which have been plundered in cup competitions. Nkunku only briefly earned a starting berth in the Premier League after a glut of injuries to Chelsea's other attacking options, yet he failed to make the most of that fleeting opportunity.

Enzo Maresca has since shunted Nkunku back onto the substitutes' bench, prompting the 27-year-old to seriously consider his future.

Nkunku's mind is now made up, according to Sky Germany. Florian Plettenberg claims that there is "no longer any doubt" that the mercurial forward has settled on his decision to search for a summer exit.

For much of the winter transfer window, it appeared that Nkunku would be on his way out of Chelsea. There was plenty of talk about a swap deal with Bayern Munich which would have brought Mathys Tel to west London - although the Bundesliga outfit rejected those reports.

Manchester United reportedly made a late push to sign Nkunku on deadline day only to be turned down in the final hours of the window.

In the run-up to this summer's off-season, Arsenal have emerged as surprise suitors. The Gunners have a recent history of snapping up Chelsea players who have underwhelmed the Stamford Bridge faithful. The current squad still includes Jorginho and Kai Havertz, while the likes of Willian and David Luiz also made the trip across England's capital. None can be considered universal success stories.

Chelsea were thought to be demanding anywhere between £60-65m for Nkunku, who arrived in 2023 on a deal worth an initial £52m.