A pivotal summer awaits INEOS. (Photo via YouTube)
Manchester United had set their sights on one out-of-favour Chelsea star in the winter transfer window but opted against materialising their interest with a formal approach or bid.
At that stage, their proposal was likely to be on a loan basis over anything else due to the side’s precarious financial situation.
Ruben Amorim finished January with two new defensive signings at his disposal in the form of Ayden Heaven from Arsenal and full-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce.
United credited with Christopher Nkunku interest this year
Yet, the Reds had been in the market for a forward following the departures of Antony, Marcus Rashford and even youngster Ethan Wheatley on loan, which prompted them to assess Christopher Nkunku’s situation.
The Frenchman’s Chelsea tenure has not panned out how either he or the club had initially hoped; injuries have plagued his time at Stamford Bridge ever since his £52 million move from RB Leipzig in 2023.
He had become one of the most sought-after stars in Europe at that time due to his scintillating performances in Germany, hence the Blues forking out such a substantial fee to prise him from the Bundesliga outfit.
Why Nkunku’s Chelsea tenure simply hasn’t gone to plan
In his maiden season with Chelsea, Nkunku was limited to just two starts in all competitions due to a knee injury, hamstring injury, hip injury and fitness complications rendering him unavailable for almost the entire campaign. He made 14 appearances in total and returned three goals.
This time around, the 27-year-old has managed to keep his unrelenting injury woes at bay for the majority of 2024/2025 but started the term having fallen in the pecking order to Nicolas Jackson.
Nkunku has been primarily utilised by Enzo Maresca in the cups and UEFA Conference League fixtures, resulting in him being given the nod only nine times in the league.
Considering how much United have had to battle with players being sidelined in recent years, it did raise fans’ eyebrows when the likes of Fabrizio Romano confirmed Nkunku had been added to the club’s shortlist at the start of the year.
Romano had suggested the Red Devils could well revive their pursuit at a later date – and may opt to do so now after his latest revelation.
The transfer expert confirmed today that Nkunku’s ‘exit from Chelsea remains guaranteed ahead of the summer transfer window’.
He adds: “Contacts are due to start soon, with Nkunku already attracting interest since January.”
