One Chelsea star will have to look elsewhere if he wants to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea could yet lose one of their high profile players during the January transfer window amid speculation aplenty. The Blues are in the midst of an intriguing transfer window that is unlikely to see them do too much business, with only one new signing likely, and it may be that Enzo Maresca gets no new players at all.

What is very likely is that a number of players will leave Stamford Bridge this month, be it through loan or permanent deals. Maresca has already admitted that players who are not getting game time are well within their rights to demand an exit to ensure their careers remain on track, with Carney Chukwuemeka and Ben Chilwell coming to mind, in particular.

He said: “There are players that unfortunately didn't play a lot with us in all the competitions, like Chilwell, like Carney. Probably they are the first [to say] that they want to leave because they train every day, because they want to play games and if they don't play games probably they are thinking of leaving.

"Each player is a bit [of a] different situation, so we're going to see if some of them are coming and knocking on the door to say 'I want to leave' or something like that. We will try to find a solution."

Another player who could find himself in that conversation is frontman Christopher Nkunku. Nkunku has been a much more regular feature than those other players mentioned, making 18 Premier League appearances, but only three of those appearances have come from starts.

The more than £50million signing will have been expecting to play much more than that at Stamford Bridge, especially given his not a young player, currently 27 years of age. But he is currently stuck behind Nicolas Jackson in the striker role, and not a natural winger, he is behind the likes of Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho out wide.

Nkunku’s future

Nkunku is under contract until 2027 but he is regularly being linked with a move away from Chelsea in a bid to become a regular starter. Manchester United have been linked, although a move abroad would appear more likely.

PSG are another side who have been tipped to make a move for the forward, but according to transfer ‘insider’ Fabrizio Romano, talks are not ongoing at this stage. He wrote on X: “There is nothing concrete or serious from PSG for Nkunku, but he could still leave somewhere else, that’s my information, especially if he goes to Chelsea and asks to leave.” A separate update read: “No negotiations ongoing or even talks between PSG and Chelsea for Christopher Nkunku.There are chances for Nkunku to leave if he asks to play more and explore options… as revealed in December, with top clubs attentive.But PSG are looking at different kind of players.”

Nkunku himself said back in October: “I have gone through difficult phases psychologically. These are also adventures that make you more strong and I learnt to understand my body, as well as patience and resilience.

“I am rediscovering my level. In terms of rhythm, that will come with game time,” said the Paris Saint-Germain academy product of his battle to start for Enzo Maresca. I want to stay and to perform. It is one of my objectives. The injuries are behind me. The goal is to stay fit and in good health.”