Chelsea could be handed surprise route to sign Victor Osimhen after intriguing £50m transfer exit link

According to new reports, Chelsea attacker Christopher Nkunku is attracting transfer interest from Premier League rivals amid his lack of game time under Enzo Maresca.

French news outlet L’Equipe via the Express have claimed that Nkunku has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United and that the Red Devils have enquired about making a potential move for the attacker in the upcoming January transfer window.

The French attacker has made ten Premier League appearances so far this season but has started just once due to the impressive form of Nicolas Jackson up front. However, Nkunku has been heavily involved in Chelsea’s games in the Carabao Cup and Europa Conference League, netting seven goals in five matches in the two competitions.

L’Equipe go to claim that the striker is unhappy with his limited Premier League game time at Stamford Bridge, and that it could be enough to tempt the 26-year-old away from Chelsea in January. The report adds that Chelsea would be willing to sell Nkunku - however, it is not clear whether they would sell him to United due to the Red Devils being a competitor for a top-four finish this season.

Manchester United look at Nkunku amid goal-scoring struggles

United’s new boss Ruben Amorim will be keen to add more attacking firepower at Old Trafford, due to the fact United have struggled when it comes to scoring goals so far this season.

They are the fourth-lowest scoring team in the Premier League this season despite a recent 3-0 win against Leicester City under interim manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Christopher Nkunku’s goal scoring ability has been displayed for Chelsea in the Europa Conference League and so Amorim may have identified the attacker as a solution especially if the reports are true about him being unhappy at Stamford Bridge.

How much could Chelsea sell Christopher Nkunku for?

The French attacker signed for Chelsea in July 2023 for around £50 million from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig where he had spent four seasons since joining from Paris Saint-Germain.

His estimated value remains around the £50 million mark, but Chelsea would likely increase the price of Nkunku if they were to sell him to United due to the fact that they are a fellow Premier League team. He is still contracted at Stamford Bridge until June 2029.

Furthermore, if Chelsea were to sell the Frenchman, they would likely use the money from his sale to once again pursue transfer target striker Victor Osimhen who they were in talks to sign over the summer transfer window.

However, no deal was done for Osimhen who ended up leaving Napoli on loan to Galatasaray. There is a clause in his contract for Napoli to sell him whilst he’s away on loan, which means that Chelsea could go in for him again in January - something that would be made more likely after the sale of Nkunku.