Christopher Nkunku could be about to make his long-awaited Premier League debut for Chelsea after months on the sidelines with injury.
The 25-year-old was the first signing of the Mauricio Pochettino era when he completed a transfer from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig prior to the start of 2023/24.
However, the France international suffered a knee injury in a preseason match against Borussia Dortmund and surgery was required to repair the damage. That meant fans have had to wait to see the 26-year-old in competitive action for the club.
Nkunku was part of the matchday squad for the game against Sheffield United on December 16, but his wait for first team minutes lingers on, as he was an unused substitute.
The Sporting News provides some of the key details to know about the star tasked with solving some of Chelsea's goalscoring problems.
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Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea transfer fee
Chelsea have spent eye-watering sums since Todd Boehly took control of the club in May 2022, setting records in the 2022/23 summer and winter transfer windows.
The estimated £240m/$307m spent by Thomas Tuchel last summer broke the previous overall Premier League record for a single transfer window. with Graham Potter's £281m/$360m January splurge breaking more new ground.
Pochettino's first signing, Nkunku, commanded a fee of £52m/$66.4m, as per reports from BBC Sport.
By the end of the previous transfer window, Chelsea had spent a further £350m/$445m, taking the club's spending in the Boehly era beyond £1 billion.
Christopher Nkunku Chelsea contract
Chelsea set out their commitment to Nkunku, with a six-year contract agreed up until the end of the 2027/28 season.
"I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea", Nkunku said in his first interview with the club.
"A big effort was made to bring me to the club and I'm looking forward to meeting my new coach and teammates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch."
Nkunku is a Blue! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/NASfDOG0Xg
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 20, 2023
Christopher Nkunku shirt number at Chelsea
Nkunku wears the No. 18 shirt at Chelsea.
He wore the same jersey at RB Leipzig for the last four seasons following his move to Germany from Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea's previous No.18, Armando Broja, did not make a single appearance last season after returning from a 2021/22 loan spell at Southampton. Broja now wears the No. 19 shirt.
What country does Christopher Nkunku play for?
Nkunku is a France international player with 10 caps won for Didier Deschamps' side, but he missed out on a place in their 2022 World Cup squad due to injury.
Chelsea's new star is from the same area of east Paris as Paul Pogba, the commune of Lagny-sur-Marne, and represented France at four underage levels before making his senior debut in 2022.
Christopher Nkunku Chelsea debut
Nkunku's unofficial Chelsea debut came in the preseason match against Wrexham on July 23, 2023, in which he scored in a 5-0 win.
He scored twice more in a further four exhibition games until he suffered that knee injury against Dortmund on August 3.
Nkunku looked potentially poised to make his competitive Chelsea debut against Sheffield United at the weekend, but Pochettino admitted it was a little too soon for him. The Newcastle game in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals, then, could be the day we finally see Nkunku in a competitive game.
Nkunku "has the possibility to be involved for some minutes," in the Newcastle clash according to Pochettino.
The Chelsea manager said: "If [he plays] tomorrow, it is because I am seeing [him] today much better than the day before and that will increase the possibility of him being involved. From what I can see today, maybe he can play 20 minutes. Before Sheffield United, it was maybe 1%, 2% of this - this is why I didn't take the risk."
🚨🗣️Mauricio Pochettino on Christopher Nkunku:
— ChelseaReport (@chelsreport_) December 18, 2023
"He wasn't a player to be involved, after 2-0 I didn't want to take a risk for him but maybe tomorrow I am seeing more today.
"How I see today? I tell you maybe he can play 20 minutes. Before Sheffield United, I was 1% or 2% of… pic.twitter.com/Op5kwErnnd
Christopher Nkunku position at Chelsea
Nkunku has superb tactical and positional flexibility, which Pochettino will look to utilise when assessing his best role for Chelsea.
The player himself has previously stated his favoured slot in as an attacking midfielder or No.10 behind the main striker, but Leipzig used him in both positions, as well as out wide often on the right flank.
A tally of 16 Bundesliga goals, and 23 overall, in 2022/23 underlines his ability to score from a deeper starting role with 12 of his goals last season coming from a No.10 spot.
Christopher Nkunku's RB Leipzig career by numbers:
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 20, 2023
◉ 172 games
◉ 70 goals
◉ 45 assists
◉ 2 trophies
Now he's a Blue. 🎈 pic.twitter.com/O45ryK7Q5Q
He ended the campaign as the Bundesliga's joint-top scorer, alongside Werder Bremen's Niclas Fullkrug, an impressive feat for a player not operating solely as a striker.
Pochettino is already stacked with options in attacking midfield and out wide, notably Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson. Nkunku could either slot in as a central forward-thinking midfielder, flanked by Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo/Conor Gallagher, or in the front three.
Leipzig switched between approaches in 2022/23 and Nkunku can also play as a pure No.10, with two holding midfielders in behind and pace out wide, as he did with Timo Werner and Dominik Szoboszlai in Germany.
