From 10 months ago, Chelsea and Christopher Nkunku reached a complete agreement. The London-based team had taken the lead over their competing rivals very early on. However, for the French player, the decision to join Chelsea didn't necessarily have to be rushed like that.
Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali did not appear in Chelsea's statements regarding the successful acquisition of Nkunku. But without the assertive and early moves from the Chelsea hierarchy, the talented French attacking star may have ended up wearing a different jersey by now.
MU, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Bayern all favored the exceptional forward from RB Leipzig. They were willing to pay more than £52 million to turn Nkunku into a "heavyweight weapon" in the upcoming Champions League season. But now the team that secured Nkunku is sitting 12th in the Premier League and absent from European competition next season.
It's worth noting that both Tottenham and Napoli demanded over £100 million for Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen, respectively. Chelsea themselves valued Kai Havertz at £70 million. Even a young striker like Rasmus Hojlund was priced at a staggering £86 million by Atalanta. Compared to those sky-high figures, the £52 million for Nkunku is a bargain. Of course, Chelsea wouldn't have secured such a cheap deal if they had only started negotiations with Leipzig in April.
The reality is that Chelsea completed the Nkunku transfer very early on. In August last year, the French forward arrived at Stamford Bridge for a medical check-up, hoping to play under Thomas Tuchel. However, just one month later, Tuchel stepped aside for Graham Potter, and now Nkunku will be working with Mauricio Pochettino. Those associated with Chelsea can breathe a sigh of relief because the tremendous upheavals of the crisis-ridden 2022/23 season did not affect this transfer. They still have a versatile striker whose class has been proven over four explosive seasons at Leipzig (70 goals in 172 matches).
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Chelsea can breathe a sigh of relief, but Nkunku is left perplexed. How can he avoid the feeling of unease when the club he eagerly went for a medical check-up at in August last year, with great ambitions and wealthy owners, is now in a declining state after a crisis-ridden season? The timing when Nkunku chose Chelsea and the time he debuts for The Blues are two different shades of blue, one filled with hope and one pale and lost.
"In my opinion, Nkunku decided to join Chelsea too early. If I were his advisor or father, I would be very concerned at this moment," commented Ralf Rangnick, former RB Leipzig coach, about his former protégé. Chelsea is currently starting afresh with new manager Pochettino, with a squad undergoing significant changes and the mentality of an average team that finished 12th in the Premier League 2022/23 season. "Imagine a forward of Nkunku's caliber joining a club in such a situation. Personally, I feel very saddened," Rangnick revealed.
Certainly, Nkunku can still succeed at Chelsea next season. But it's evident that the French player will find it hard to avoid disappointment because this is no longer the Chelsea that held so much promise when Nkunku underwent his medical check-up 10 months ago. At the very least, Nkunku won't be playing in the Champions League next season, and it remains unknown when he will return to this prestigious stage. A decision made nearly a year ago, before the completion of the transfer, is now causing the former Leipzig player to pay the price.
