Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku faces a harsh reality once he finally returns to full fitness. The Frenchman was previously warned by Ralf Rangnick over his move to Stamford Bridge and the former Manchester United interim boss’ comments now ring true.
Chelsea agreed a deal with RB Leipzig to sign Nkunku in late 2022. The Blues finalised a fee of £53million in a transfer which would go through the following summer.
Chelsea went on to have their most turbulent season in recent memory, while Nkunku finished leading goalscorer in the Bundesliga. Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both sacked during the campaign, with interim boss Frank Lampard failing to have a positive impact during his second spell at the club.
Mauricio Pochettino arrived in west London in the summer hoping to oversee a change in fortune. Nkunku joined up with his new club at the start of pre-season, aiming to hit the ground running.
But he suffered a knee injury in a friendly against Borussia Dortmund in early August which has seen him ruled out ever since. Chelsea have struggled in his absence, sitting 12th in the Premier League with just five wins from 16 matches.
Nkunku is edging closer to a return and a competitive debut. But it may not be all rosy once he does step onto the pitch.
Rangnick, who was sporting director when Leipzig signed Nkunku in 2019, sent a warning to the 26-year-old earlier this year. He claimed Chelsea were not an attractive club for any player to join and said it “hurts my heart” to see Nkunku join them.
Rangnick told Bild in April: “At the moment, no matter who comes as a coach, you can’t really recommend anyone to go there. The very first thing to do is establish some sort of strategy and reduce the squad to a reasonable size that any coach can work with.
“I’m also thinking of a player whose commitment to RB Leipzig I was at least a little involved in – Christopher Nkunku. For me one of the best attacking midfielders currently available.
“And who, in my opinion, decided to move to Chelsea far too early. Imagine he comes to a club that is in the state it is at the moment.
“Such an outstanding player. This hurts my heart personally. If I were his advisor or his father, I would be very worried right now.”
By April, there was no going back for Nkunku. The deal with Chelsea was done and all he could do was hope things would work out.
So far it has been a miserable spell in England for the versatile attacker and Chelsea have desperately missed a player with his quality. Nkunku will be hoping he can prove Rangnick wrong if he finally makes an appearance over the festive period.
