Chelsea have shocked many by standing 4th in the Premier League, despite a managerial change early in the season. As the January transfer window closes, manager Enzo Maresca is set to give a $67 million signing another opportunity in the second half of the season, following the collapse of his proposed move to Bayern Munich.
Chelsea were one of the most active clubs in the transfer market, but much of their activity centered around player departures. Christopher Nkunku, a major signing from RB Leipzig, was among those whose future at the club seemed uncertain. According to Fabrizio Romano, the French forward was keen on joining Bayern Munich.
However, the deal fell apart when Bayern and Chelsea couldn’t agree on terms, with Bayern insisting on a loan deal, while Chelsea sought a permanent transfer. Now, Nkunku remains at Stamford Bridge, and Maresca has decided to offer him more playing time.
“We planned since December to keep Christopher Nkunku,” Maresca explained in a pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against Brighton. “It was our intention, and for sure now he will have a bigger role. He played half an hour against West Ham, and hopefully, he can get more minutes and help us.”
Nkunku’s opportunity came again in Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Brighton, where he was named in the starting XI for the fourth time this season, following appearances as a starter only against Manchester City, Southampton, and Ipswich Town during this Premier League season.
Chelsea’s striker crisis
One of the driving forces behind Nkunku’s renewed role at Chelsea is the club’s growing injury list in the striker position. As Maresca confirmed, both Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu will be sidelined for almost two months.
“Nico will be out until the end of the international break, and Marc Guiu will also be out for a while,” Maresca said during Thursday’s press conference. When asked for more details about Jackson’s injury, Maresca added, “We knew it was a muscle problem, but we didn’t know how serious it was. He had a scan a few days ago, and it’s a significant injury. He will be out for around 6 to 8 weeks.”
Though not a natural striker, Nkunku has contributed 13 goals and 4 assists in 1,327 minutes across 31 games (averaging 42 minutes per match) this season. With the current injury crisis, Maresca has no choice but to lean on the Frenchman more heavily, providing Nkunku the chance to prove himself and solidify his place in the starting lineup.
