Chelsea will struggle to offload Christopher Nkunku permanently this summer, unless affluent suitors emerge in the final days of the window.
The Frenchman is desperate to leave the Blues, having failed to establish himself as a regular starter in his two years at the club. However, so far, there appears to have been little in the way of progress regarding a potential exit.
To be sure, clubs have enquired about Nkunku, but the cost of the versatile forward has so far been an effective deterrent. In January, Chelsea demanded a whopping €70 million for their €60m signing, and there have yet to be any suggestions that this price has been significantly reduced.
Inter have shown an interest in Nkunku, but very little has come of this, with the Nerazzurri prioritising a move for Ademola Lookman. More recently, RB Leipzig have held talks over a possible return of their former star forward.
These discussions have taken place amid the ongoing negotiations with Chelsea over a deal for Xavi Simons. The Blues are keen to include a player in the deal – albeit as a nominally separate transfer – and have offered up the likes of Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka and Tyrique George.
Leipzig won’t re-sign Nkunku permanently
RB Leipzig are certainly attracted to the possibility of bringing Nkunku back, but Sky Germany reports that a permanent deal looks highly unlikely as things stand.
The 27-year-old is quite simply too expensive for the Red Bulls. Even a loan move appears to be a challenging undertaking for the Bundesliga side, and it would certainly require Chelsea to shoulder a chunk of Nkunku’s salary.
It remains to be seen what exactly Chelsea’s current asking price for the France international is, but it is difficult to imagine any European club coughing up in excess of €50m. He currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €41.8m.
The player is understood to be keen to leave permanently, so unless the Blues let him depart for a cut-price fee, they may have to offload him on an unfavourable loan, which won’t suit anybody except his next club.
Football transfer news headlines today
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
