AC Milan have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Christopher Nkunku in a deal worth up to £36m including add-ons.
Nkunku, 27, has accepted a pay cut to complete the move and is set to sign a five-year contract with the Italian giants.
The France international has been granted permission to travel for a medical, while Chelsea will retain a sell-on clause as part of the agreement.
The transfer ends Nkunku’s two-year stay at Stamford Bridge, where he registered 18 goals and five assists in 62 appearances after joining from RB Leipzig for around £52m in 2023.
He played a key role in Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League triumphs last season.
Chelsea’s Garnacho Pursuit Advances
Nkunku’s exit clears the way for Chelsea to press ahead with a move for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.
The 21-year-old Argentina international has not featured for United this season and has been training away from Ruben Amorim’s first-team group.
While no fee has yet been agreed, sources have revealed that a deal is close, Garnacho has made clear his desire to join Chelsea, despite interest from other clubs.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson is in talks with Bayern Munich over an initial loan move that could include an obligation to buy.
Record Summer of Sales
Nkunku’s sale also highlights Chelsea’s unprecedented business in this window, the Blues have now generated at least £263.2m in player sales – a new Premier League record for a single summer window, surpassing their previous best of £215.9m set in 2023.
Their most lucrative outgoing so far has been Noni Madueke’s £48.5m move to Arsenal, with Nkunku’s departure joining a series of high-value deals that have helped Chelsea offset a £26.7m UEFA fine and comply with financial rules requiring a “positive transfer balance” to register Champions League signings.
With Nkunku bound for Milan and Garnacho edging closer to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s transfer business looks set to reshape both their squad and the record books before the window closes.