Christopher Nkunku: Chelsea's new striker brings versatility and ruthlessness

Christopher Nkunku started his vocation astatine Paris St-Germain earlier joining RB Leipzig successful 2019

The statement has agelong been successful spot and connected Tuesday Chelsea announced the signing of Christopher Nkunku.

While Chelsea person made galore signings since the accomplishment of the ownership radical led by Todd Boehly, Nkunku could beryllium 1 of fewer that improves the squad importantly and brings Chelsea person to Manchester City and the different Premier League powerhouses.

The 25-year-old is 1 of respective high-quality attacking players coming retired of France.

He joined Leipzig successful 2019 from Paris St-Germain aft helium realised helium could not advancement portion successful the shadiness of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and others.

Leipzig offered Nkunku regular playing clip - helium has averaged 42 competitory games per play implicit the past 4 years - and the accidental to refine his game.

At first, the Paris autochthonal played arsenic a winger nether manager Julian Nagelsmann portion occasionally being employed successful the fig 10 role.

Domenico Tedesco was the archetypal manager who regularly tried Nkunku arsenic a striker and Marco Rose continued that maneuver aft replacing the now-Belgium manager past September.

While Nkunku was capable to showcase his dribbling skills and agility successful choky spaces erstwhile playing arsenic a winger, helium turned into a ruthless goalscorer successful the cardinal striker role.

He scored 35 goals successful each competitions during the 2021-22 run and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season.

Nkunku scored 70 goals successful 172 games successful each competitions for RB Leipzig

What Chelsea person acquired is simply a tactically versatile and technically highly proficient subordinate who combines creativity with a thrust towards goal.

Nkunku whitethorn marque galore stepovers and each kinds of dummies, but helium is usually focused connected getting the shot into the punishment area.

According to the analytics tract FBref.com, Nkunku has been among the champion 10 per cent of forwards successful Europe's top-five leagues successful respective cardinal statistic during the past calendar year, including non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, walk completion percent and palmy take-ons.

Mauricio Pochettino, who volition officially instrumentality implicit astatine Chelsea connected 1 July, has usually preferred a tactical strategy with 1 cardinal striker.

Nkunku could good beryllium employed successful that role. With Kai Havertz expected to permission and Romelu Lukaku improbable to instrumentality to Stamford Bridge, the Frenchman would look to marque the astir consciousness for the position.

Equally, helium could besides beryllium selected connected the helping with a licence to roam to the inside. He displayed his tactical versatility during the caller German Cup final, which RB Leipzig won 2-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Nkunku started the crippled arsenic the lone striker successful Leipzig's 4-2-3-1, holding the shot up and combining with Dani Olmo oregon Dominik Szoboszlai. During the 2nd fractional helium moved to the helping erstwhile Yussuf Poulsen came connected to supply a much carnal presence.

When helium was employed successful a wider area, Nkunku again showed his velocity and progressive passing qualities. He besides scored the opening extremity arsenic helium drifted successful from the near broadside successful the 71st minute.

World Cup heartache to Premier League move

The Frenchman has made the astir of his past 4 years successful the Bundesliga.

However, portion helium has received praise for his performances, won 2 German Cup finals with Leipzig and received the trophy for the champion extremity scorer of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season, Nkunku has besides had to woody with setbacks.

He suffered a ligament teardrop successful his genu successful the days earlier the World Cup successful Qatar and was denied the accidental to correspond his location state successful the tournament. While Mbappe and the remainder were playing successful the last against Argentina, Nkunku was moving towards his comeback.

He looked rusty successful his archetypal fewer outings and had different setback erstwhile helium suffering a torn musculus fibre.

After recovering from that 2nd injury, Nkunku steadily improved his form, peaking successful the last fewer weeks of the play arsenic Leipzig secured a spot successful the 2023-24 Champions League and won the German Cup final.

"Having played successful Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I present privation to play successful the Premier League, 1 of the strongest successful the world," Nkunku said connected Wednesday.

He has been successful the shadiness of Mbappe and a different stellar countrymen successful caller years, but the determination to England and an ambitious and financially almighty nine should connection Nkunku the signifier to summation much planetary exposure.

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