Speaking in the press conference ahead of their game against Celtic (h/t Metro), RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose has dismissed the claims that Christopher Nkunku has agreed to join Chelsea next summer and suggested it is all speculation rather than reality.
There were widespread reports on Monday that the Blues have gone ahead of the European clubs in the race to sign Nkunku. It was revealed that the player has agreed to sign a pre-contract agreement that will see him arrive in West London next summer.
Although the Frenchman’s release clause is £52.8m, Chelsea have decided to pay in excess of that to get him on their side.
Dismissing those claims, here’s what Rose said (h/t Metro):
“It’s speculation, we don’t comment on it. We don’t care, we don’t care.”
Although the Leipzig boss has said that, it is understood that Chelsea are successful in their attempts to sign Nkunku. The clarity of the details in the reports suggests that this is a true story rather than a ‘speculation.’ The Blues wanted to sign him in the summer, but the German side was not interested in selling him and the player himself was not sure about changing clubs months before the World Cup.
Nkunku was one of the best players in the Bundesliga last season, with 20 goals and 15 assists in 34 appearances. He also won the Bundesliga Player of the Year award for that showing.
The Frenchman is also one of the key members of the French national team and is expected to go to Qatar. Other European giants Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain were also interested in the 24-year-old.
If the deal gets completed in line with the reports, Chelsea will have a serious player on their hands. Not just his qualities, Nkunku has versatility and tenacity in his game which would be an asset going forward. He is still 24 with peak years ahead of him.
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