The Frenchman could be allowed to leave for the Bundesliga giants after becoming dissatisfied at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea would be making a mistake.
You could be forgiven for having a patchwork memory of Christopher Nkunku’s Chelsea career thus far, because his time at Stamford Bridge has been, well, patchy.
Due to no fault of his own, the French attacker has only made 42 appearances since joining the Blues from RB Leipzig in 2023, and it is probable that he will not make many more.
Despite the unshakeable feeling that there is so much more to come from Nkunku in the blue shirt, the 27-year-old has emerged as a serious target for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in January, with the player open to leaving having grown frustrated over a lack of Premier League game time, even agreeing personal terms, and Chelsea seemingly open to selling.
Nineteen-year-old talent Mathys Tel could be heading in the opposite direction, but this is a deal the west Londoners really shouldn’t be entertaining – especially not mid-season.
What will Nkunku’s legacy be at Stamford Bridge? It feels incredibly harsh to call him a flop, and there is a sense that – should he leave – this relationship will be over before it’s truly been allowed to flourish.
Following a bargain €60 million (£52m/$63m) switch to Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, a serious injury in preseason just days before competitive action got underway effectively wrote off the first half of the Frenchman’s debut campaign.
He wouldn’t return until Christmas Eve, scoring on his Premier League bow against Wolves, but another setback in February last year meant he only mustered 14 appearances across 2023-24. Nkunku still managed three goals in just 517 minutes of action, though, which works out at fewer than six full matches.