caughtoffside
·23 November 2024
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·23 November 2024
Chelsea are flying this season in the Premier League but 10-goal striker, Christopher Nkunku, still isn’t happy and could ask for a transfer away as early as the January transfer window.
Injuries have blighted the Frenchman’s time at Stamford Bridge, and a potential move to rivals Man United has even been mooted.
Nicolas Jackson has generally been the go-to front man for Enzo Maresca, even if he hasn’t impressed in every game he’s played, but his goalscoring exploits (six goals in 11 games – plus three assists – per transfermarkt), has seen international team-mate, Kalidou Koulibaly, urging him to think about winning the Ballon d’Or.
That’s a little fanciful to say the least, though he can only keep doing what he’s handsomely remunerated for, and Maresca will undoubtedly keep picking him.
Christopher Nkunku of Chelsea in action against FC Noah. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
That being the case, it would mean continued occupation on the bench for Nkunku, and as The Athletic (subscription required) note, that isn’t a situation that’s likely to cheer the 27-year-old, particularly when he already has 10 goals in 17 games for the club.
Given that he’s approaching his supposed peak as a player he won’t want to keep being a substitute option for Chelsea, and sooner or later he’s likely to indicate his displeasure to the powers that be.
To Maresca’s credit, he’s not for turning. He won’t change a winning formula just for the sake of it, and that takes guts. No two ways about it.
You learn the most about yourself in times of adversity, and Nkunku appears to be considering jumping ship rather than knuckling down and doing his best to change his manager’s mind in terms of team selection.
Trying to engineer a transfer to another club because of not being first choice every week isn’t likely to help his cause either.
From Maresca’s point of view, he has to decide whether team equilibrium is going to be affected by Nkunku’s bristling or not, and move forward on that basis.