I fervently hope we don't get Caceido why spend so much money, think we need rather another real proper striker rather, can't expect Jackson to do it all. He also looks very light.
Fucking hell.
No break whatsoever.
First Fofana and now Nkunku. And James on the treatment watch too.
As if last season wasn't enough.
I don't like it, but I hope the Neymar links aren't just idle paper talk, and that we actually take the gamble of bringing him in.
But then again, his injury record isn't too great either, so who knows.
I could deal with the tacky golden badge if it weren’t for those AWFUL white parts on the armpits and the gold at the tips of the sleeves.
Retro styling can work if it’s executed well. But this looks like they took the worst parts of the 90’s and made a shirt out of it. 🤢🤢🤢
One less player to worry about this season. Now just need to find new homes for Lukaku, Aubameyang, Ziyech, CHO, Ampadu and Sarr as soon as possible.
Santos, Chukwuemeka, Casadei, Hall etc. can be checked by Poch in the coming weeks before making any decisions on loaning them out for the season or not.
good analysis of his game.
Major point is that Nkunku is not really a winger, more an inside forward. He is most effective inside the box, not at progressing the ball. I agree but I think it is more of a mindest issue. Nkunku is accomplished in every aspect of attacking bar heading. I think it is more of a question of set up. Whoever replaces kovacic should be good at progressing the ball from midfield to attack. In the last we had attackers like CHO, Mount, Pulisic who are good at progressing the ball but poor at doing sth with it in the box.
The 25-year-old is one of several high-quality attacking players to have come out of France in the past few years.
He joined Leipzig in 2019 from Paris St-Germain after he realised he could not progress while in the shadow of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and others.
Leipzig offered Nkunku regular playing time - he has averaged 42 competitive games per season over the past four years - and the chance to refine his game.
At first, the Paris native played as a winger under manager Julian Nagelsmann while occasionally being employed in the number 10 role.
Domenico Tedesco was the first coach who regularly fielded Nkunku as a striker and Marco Rose continued that tactic after replacing the now-Belgium manager last September.
While Nkunku was able to showcase his dribbling skills and agility in tight spaces when playing as a winger, he turned into a ruthless goalscorer in the central striker role.
He scored 35 goals in all competitions during the 2021-22 campaign and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season.
What Chelsea have acquired is a tactically versatile and technically highly proficient player who combines creativity with a drive towards goal.
Nkunku may make numerous stepovers and all kinds of dummies, but he is usually focused on getting the ball into the penalty area.
According to the analytics site FBref.com, Nkunku has been among the best 10 per cent of forwards in Europe's top-five leagues in several key statistics during the past calendar year, including non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, pass completion percentage and successful take-ons.
Mauricio Pochettino, who will officially take over at Chelsea on 1 July, has usually preferred a tactical system with one central striker.
Nkunku could well be employed in that role. With Kai Havertz expected to leave and Romelu Lukaku unlikely to return to Stamford Bridge, the Frenchman would seem to make the most sense for the position.
Equally, he could also be selected on the wing with a licence to roam to the inside. He displayed his tactical versatility during the recent German Cup final, which RB Leipzig won 2-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Nkunku started the game as the lone striker in Leipzig's 4-2-3-1, holding the ball up and combining with Dani Olmo or Dominik Szoboszlai. During the second half he moved to the wing when Yussuf Poulsen came on to provide a more physical presence.
When he was employed in a wider area, Nkunku again showed his speed and progressive passing qualities. He also scored the opening goal as he drifted in from the left side in the 71st minute.
The Frenchman has made the most of his past four years in the Bundesliga.
However, while he has received praise for his performances, won two German Cup finals with Leipzig and received the trophy for the best goal scorer of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season, Nkunku has also had to deal with setbacks.
He suffered a ligament tear in his knee in the days before the World Cup in Qatar and was denied the chance to represent his home country in the tournament. While Mbappe and the rest were playing in the final against Argentina, Nkunku was working towards his comeback.
He looked rusty in his first few outings and had another setback when he suffering a torn muscle fibre.
After recovering from that second injury, Nkunku steadily improved his form, peaking in the final few weeks of the season as Leipzig secured a spot in the 2023-24 Champions League and won the German Cup final.
"Having played in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I now want to play in the Premier League, one of the strongest in the world," Nkunku said on Wednesday.
He has been in the shadow of Mbappe and a other stellar countrymen in recent years, but the move to England and an ambitious and financially powerful club should offer Nkunku the stage to gain more international exposure and take his game to the next level.
Finally. Top singing this and it will encourage other top players to join wanting to play alongside him.
All the best Nkunku, hope it turns out well!
KTBFFH! 🔵
Love how he floats around the field, finding little pockets of space and is both great with going forward to goal and also dragging players where they don't want to be.
We will see the best of him if he is allowed freedom
Nkunku10 reacted to Reddy in Chelsea Transfers
