Chelsea has paid £52 million to RB Leipzig for France striker Christopher Nkunku. Last season, the 25-year-old scored 16 goals in 25 Bundesliga appearances.
Nkunku, who has 10 caps for France, is Mauricio Pochettino’s first signing since taking over in May.
“I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea. A big effort was made to bring me to the club. I am very excited for this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt,” Nkunku said.
“Having played in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I now want to play in the Premier League, one of the strongest leagues in the world.
“I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and team-mates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch.”
Nkunku, whose Chelsea deal begins on July 1, earned three Ligue 1 championships and two French Cups during his four years at PSG before joining Leipzig in 2019.
In 2021-22, he was crowned Bundesliga Player of the Season and German PFA Player of the Season after scoring 20 goals and assisting 15 times in the league.
Nkunku scored in the German Cup final earlier this month, as Leipzig won the title for the second year in a row. Last season, they finished third in the Bundesliga.
Nkunku earned his France debut last year but was forced to miss the World Cup due to a leg injury.
Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, stated:
“Christopher has proved himself one of the standout attacking players in European football over the past two seasons and will add quality, creativity and versatility to our squad.”
Source: BBC
