Chelsea now in ‘box seat’ to sign £96m star at Stamford Bridge – GiveMeSport

Chelsea are still in the “box seat” to sign RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

There has been some talk about Liverpool being interested in the Blues’ target, but O’Rourke says the west London club remain at the front of the queue for his signature.

What is the latest news involving Nkunku?

The Sun recently claimed that Liverpool sent scouts to watch Nkunku in Leipzig’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Celtic earlier this month.

However, the same outlet has also stated that the Merseyside club fear that they have missed their chance to snap up the Frenchman after Chelsea’s move to sign him.

As per The Athletic, Nkunku has already had a medical and signed a pre-contract agreement with Liverpool’s Premier League rivals.

The Leipzig star is valued at around £96m by the CIES Football Observatory, but Chelsea will be able to get him for much cheaper than that due to a £52.7m release clause in his contract.

What has O’Rourke said about Nkunku, Liverpool and Chelsea?

While O’Rourke does not think you can rule Liverpool out completely, the journalist has told GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea are still leading the race for Nkunku and are desperate to finalise a deal.

Speaking about Liverpool’s chances of signing the player, he said: “Never say never until that player signs. A deal is not done as well, but Chelsea are very much in the box seat for this one.

“They’ve been pursuing this one since the summer transfer window and they’re pretty keen to get it done and dusted.”

Read more: Champions League 2022/23: Fixtures, Draw, Dates, Schedule, Final, Teams and Everything We Know So Far

Who needs Nkunku more, Liverpool or Chelsea?

Liverpool have lost a lot of goals after selling Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich during the summer. However, the Reds still have Mohamed Salah, who scored 31 times for them last season.

Looking at Chelsea’s squad, they do not really have that kind of firepower. The Blues, of course, brought in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the last transfer window but, now 33 years of age, it remains to be seen if he is still capable of registering 20 goals a season in the Premier League.

When you consider that, Graham Potter could probably do with an attacker like Nkunku arriving at Stamford Bridge, with the France international netting 35 times in the previous campaign.

There are no guarantees that he can replicate that record in England, but Chelsea have to try and find a way to add more goals to their side if they want to start competing for the title again.

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