Chelsea make ‘unexpected u-turn’ over transfer for star wanted by Man Utd

Chelsea have performed a u-turn on the future of one of their star players after thwarting interest from the likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich in January.

The Blues will likely be active in the transfer market during the summer as they, once again, push the limits of PSR and continue to make alterations to their squad.

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Enzo Maresca’s side were unusually quiet in January and only made one signing, with the Chelsea boss keen to keep his squad together as they battled through an intense season with plenty of European and cup football.

This resulted in the club resisting approaches for Christopher Nkunku, having seen the French forward wanted by a number of teams after failing to establish himself as a regular starter in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old had scored 12 goals by mid-December but only two had been in the Premier League, with Nicolas Jackson’s presence leading to Nkunku being relegated to a bench role outside of cup competitions.

However, with Jackson having been injured for the last six weeks, Nkunku was given a chance to shine as Maresca’s leading striker but he has failed to impress thusfar, leading to Chelsea being ready to cash in on their misfiring forward this summer according to GiveMeSport.

Nkunku ‘increasingly likely’ to leave Chelsea in summer

Nkunku’s last 17 games in all competitions have produced just two goals despite the Frenchman starting six of his last eight appearances after Jackson’s injury.

While Chelsea were open to his departure in January, the club wanted to give Nkunku a chance to turn his Stamford Bridge career around in the second half of the season – a chance that he has seemingly blown.

The player himself is said to be ready to pursue a fresh challenge in a different environment, potentially abroad after failing to establish himself in the Premier League.

Nkunku’s departure is now thought to be ‘increasingly likely’ this summer, although it remains to be seen whether Chelsea are able to generate the €60 million they had been holding out for in January for his exit.