October 24th 2024.
Former England midfielder and manager, Glenn Hoddle, recently shared his thoughts on Christopher Nkunku's situation at Chelsea. Hoddle wonders if Nkunku is truly happy at the club and believes he may not be the only player who wants to leave in the upcoming January transfer window.
Chelsea made a significant investment of £52 million to acquire Nkunku from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023. However, due to various injury setbacks, the French international has only made 26 appearances for the Blues. Much was expected from Nkunku, especially after his impressive performances in Germany, where he scored a total of 58 goals in his final two seasons with Leipzig.
In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Nkunku scored three goals in 14 games but spent a considerable amount of time in the treatment room. While he seems to have recovered from his fitness issues, Nkunku is still struggling to secure regular playing time under Chelsea's current manager, Enzo Maresca. So far this season, he has only started one league game and has mainly featured as a substitute or in cup competitions, where he has made a strong impression, including scoring a hat-trick against Barrow last month.
In Chelsea's latest Europa Conference League match against Panathinaikos, Nkunku was given another start as Maresca chose to rest his first-choice striker, Nicolas Jackson. Although Jackson has received some criticism for his finishing in the past, he has shown significant improvement this season, already scoring five goals in the Premier League. However, Hoddle believes that Nkunku would have been more clinical than Jackson if given the same opportunities and could be considering leaving the club if his playing time does not increase.
Hoddle expressed his thoughts on TNT Sports, saying, "When I look at Chelsea's forwards, I think Nkunku would be more clinical than Nicolas Jackson if he had the same time on the pitch and had his chances so far this season. Jackson is obviously improving and getting more confident, he has the manager's faith and backing right now. Whether Nkunku is going to be happy... he might be one that will think he needs to leave come January if this is still happening."
Former Chelsea forward, Eni Aluko, also shared her opinion on Nkunku, stating that she is a big fan of the player and believes he can challenge Jackson for a spot in the team. She praised Nkunku's intelligence on the field and his ability to play in multiple positions. However, she acknowledged that his injury troubles have prevented him from finding a consistent rhythm at the club.
There have been rumors linking Nkunku with a return to his former club, Paris Saint-Germain. However, in a recent interview, he dismissed these speculations, stating that there have been no approaches from PSG. Meanwhile, Chelsea continued their winning streak in the Europa Conference League, defeating Panathinaikos 4-1. Joao Felix scored twice, Mykhailo Mudryk also found the net, and Nkunku added another goal to his tally.
Reflecting on Chelsea's performance, co-commentator for TNT Sports, Lucy Ward, praised the team's overall performance and the impact of Mudryk, who scored a rare goal. She also commended Maresca's calm and measured approach as the manager, and how he has instilled a certain style of play in the team. Ward also mentioned the importance of competition for places within the squad and how it can motivate players to perform at their best. She believes that Chelsea has the potential to go far in this competition and potentially win it, which would be an impressive feat for the fans and the club.
In conclusion, Chelsea is currently facing some challenges with players like Nkunku struggling for playing time. However, the team continues to perform well, and with the right approach from Maresca, they can achieve great things in the Europa Conference League and beyond.
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