Liverpool have opened talks to sign French forward Christopher Nkunku from Chelsea this summer, according to French outlet Footmercato.
The 27-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2023 from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig. Having clinched the top scorer award before his move to West London, the forward has struggled to hit the ground running, and a departure in the summer now looks very likely.
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Several clubs have circled for his signature, but it appears Liverpool hold the most concrete interest. Mercato claims that the Merseyside club have shortlisted him among their list of transfer targets to reinforce their attack in the summer.
The report adds that Nkunku is considering a departure from Chelsea. Liverpool have now opened talks over his possible transfer to Anfield, and his versatility is drawing keen attention from the Reds.
Despite his lack of playing time under Enzo Maresca, he remains one of the Blues’ most prolific forwards, with 19 goal contributions this season. It’s no surprise that the French outlet claims that Premier League side Newcastle United and Bayern Munich are set to rival Liverpool for the France international, who is valued at €45m (£37m) by Transfermarkt.
Nkunku to Liverpool
Nkunku’s lack of game time has been a cause for concern this season. He has predominantly been utilised in the UEFA Conference League, where he has had eight goal contributions in nine games.
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His goal against Bournemouth in the Premier League, in which he wriggled past a compact defensive block to net Chelsea’s winner in the 1-0 victory back in September, is an indication of the goalscoring assets he possesses in his arsenal.
A move for Nkunku makes sense — he’s a versatile forward capable of playing across the front line as well as in the attacking midfield role, where he was primarily deployed during his time at Leipzig.
Unlike the attention often drawn to centre-forwards like Darwin Núñez for missed chances, the Frenchman has never been in the spotlight for such reasons. He’s clinical when opportunities arise and fits the profile of a natural goal poacher in every sense.
However, if he does join the club this summer, it’ll be interesting to see how Arne Slot works around his limited pressing ability — an area that’s raised concerns this season.
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