Manchester United Interested In Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku

It has been known for a while that Alejandro Garnacho has been of interest to Chelsea, especially since Ruben Amorim, the new Manchester United manager, has cut his minutes down significantly due to his attitude in training. Now reports suggest that Christopher Nkunku could head the other way on loan in a potential swap deal.

Nkunku At Chelsea So Far

Nkunku’s Chelsea career so far has been marred by injuries and therefore disappointing for the hype that he joined with. He signed for the club in June 2023 coming off the back of two incredible seasons at RB Leipzig. In 2021/22 hw won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award having scored 20 goals and registering 13 assists, and in the next season, he finished as the league’s top goalscorer alongside Niclas Fullkrug.

He picked up an injury in his first pre-season at Chelsea that kept him out for the first half of the season, and since then he has scored 16 times in 42 games, although just five of these have come in the Premier League.

There is NO way we should be entertaining any Nkunku rumours. ❌ pic.twitter.com/VVAZSFcCGR

— UtdXclusive (@UtdXclusive) January 24, 2025

This season he has made just three starts in the top flight, with the majority of his minutes coming in the UEFA Europa Conference League. He has shown an interest in leaving Stamford Bridge in this window, with Bayern Munich monitoring the situation. Both Mathys Tel and Garnacho have been looked at as a possible replacement for Nkunku, should he decide to leave.

Would Nkunku Fit At Manchester United?

With both Marcus Rashford and Garnacho heading for the door, Manchester United need a new player to play on the left hand side of their attack. The vacant position isn’t really that of a winger but more central, as the width in Ruben Amorim’s side is provided by the overlapping wing-backs.

Nkunku would actually be a perfect fit for this position as, while he can provide width and has done so for Leipzig in the past, his best position has always been more central. He is right footed, so playing on the left of two attacking midfielders, with Bruno Fernandes playing on the right, allows him to cut inside when pushed further out wide.

🚨 Understand Man United are not giving up on Patrick Dorgu deal as negotiations continue.

Lecce turned down over €30m from United, but add-ons can be included in new proposal to try make it happen.

Lecce want €40m or keep Dorgu until June with Napoli keen for summer deal. pic.twitter.com/UnsOI6mdbd

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 26, 2025

He is not the only player who has been looked at by Manchester United to fill that position this window. 20-year-old Patrick Dorgu has drawn the interest of some top sides, but Manchester United have already submitted a bid of £27m to Lecce that was rejected. The youngster has scored three goals and registered one assist for his side in the league this season.

Other Manchester United News

Elsewhere at Manchester United, Antony has joined Real Betis on loan until the end of the season to try and recapture some of his Ajax form, and Marcus Rashford is believed to be ready to take a pay cut in order to join Barcelona, but the Spanish club would need to sell Andreas Christensen to be able to make that happen.