Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea | Confirmed

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The argument that a player is unlikely to reach elite level if he isn't at an elite club by age 24 is a bit silly, especially when considering players who were at such clubs at an earlier age and then decided to leave for more playing time. Players like that inevitably follow a different career trajectory than your (arbitrarily deemed safer bet) talent who climbs the ladder linearly, from smaller to larger club step by step. Or the youth player who decides to be patient at a top club, increasing their minutes played season by season.

Nkunku did play some minutes for PSG at a young age after all, but faced a lot of competition and decided to join an ambitious but smaller club in Leipzig for more game time. Still he had an immediate impact, and reached the CL semifinal in his first season there.
If you compare him to say Salah or De Bruyne, who were bought by Chelsea at around age 20 but immediately loaned out initially, the only real difference is that Nkunku's contract was running out so a loan wasn't on the table. Or look at Odegaard, bought by Madrid very young, couldn't break through there but now having a very good season with Arsenal.

It doesn't make sense to evaluate a player based on some one-size-fits-all criteria, whether that's career path, international caps or whatever other measure. You have to look at the context in each case.
 
Aside from his goals/assists, the main thing you notice about him is how intelligent he is. His off-the-ball movement is superb, and, as we know, that is something Ten Hag values very highly (see video below).

 
I just find it hard to see where Nkunku fits in a team that would have to include Ronaldo, Fernandes and Sancho unless we go 4-3-3 with Fernandes in a midfield three with licence to bomb forward like Lampard used too at Chelsea then have Nkunku and Sancho either side of Ronaldo alternating sides ?

I’d love to see us sign him as he looks a perfect ETH system player and is the right profile seeing as he’s on the way up and hungry rather than being a superstar signing just coming for a pay day but from what I’ve seen his best role is as a false 9 or 10/support striker who can play from the left but I think if Sancho is playing from the left going forward with Rashford in reserve we need to focus on the right hand side.
 
I really want a left footed attacker than can atleast be a back up to the RW.

Sancho, Martial, Ronaldo, Rashford, Cavani, Elanga are all right footed and it's genuinely hurts to watch our RW.
 
Bebestation said:
I really want a left footed attacker than can atleast be a back up to the RW.

Sancho, Martial, Ronaldo, Rashford, Cavani, Elanga are all right footed and it's genuinely hurts to watch our RW.
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Unfortunately the Antony links have dried up recently.
 
davidmichael said:
I just find it hard to see where Nkunku fits in a team that would have to include Ronaldo, Fernandes and Sancho unless we go 4-3-3 with Fernandes in a midfield three with licence to bomb forward like Lampard used too at Chelsea then have Nkunku and Sancho either side of Ronaldo alternating sides ?

I’d love to see us sign him as he looks a perfect ETH system player and is the right profile seeing as he’s on the way up and hungry rather than being a superstar signing just coming for a pay day but from what I’ve seen his best role is as a false 9 or 10/support striker who can play from the left but I think if Sancho is playing from the left going forward with Rashford in reserve we need to focus on the right hand side.
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He could play across front 3 and AM, so I think he would have lots of chance play, even if Ronaldo stays.
 
Rangnick's recent comments about us needing 'two modern strikers' is interesting. He mentions strikers in the unconventional sense too, focusing more on fluid positioning and off the ball movement, and makes reference to City's depth with Jesus and Grealish who he categorises as 'modern strikers'. Could explain (hopefully) why we're potentially interested in Nkunku. I think we're being a little bit reductionist by assuming its an unnecessary transfer because he seemingly occupies the Fernandes role, but I think its safe to say we'd be playing a completely different system under ten Hag anyway.
 
Bebestation said:
I really want a left footed attacker than can atleast be a back up to the RW.

Sancho, Martial, Ronaldo, Rashford, Cavani, Elanga are all right footed and it's genuinely hurts to watch our RW.
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If you look at how Ten Hag has set up his team recently, he has Tadic, a left footed LW and Antony, a left footed RW. We could just invert that.
 
Kaos said:
Rangnick's recent comments about us needing 'two modern strikers' is interesting. He mentions strikers in the unconventional sense too, focusing more on fluid positioning and off the ball movement, and makes reference to City's depth with Jesus and Grealish who he categorises as 'modern strikers'. Could explain (hopefully) why we're potentially interested in Nkunku. I think we're being a little bit reductionist by assuming its an unnecessary transfer because he seemingly occupies the Fernandes role, but I think its safe to say we'd be playing a completely different system under ten Hag anyway.
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Yea I took it as a reference to the top 2 clubs in the league having very fluid frontlines filled with forwards who can play effectively and rotate/interchange in just about every position in attack rather than having rigid set positions for everyone like in the past.
 
I've watched a few Leipzig games this season and, whilst I'm not against this signing, I can't say I've been impressed by him. Obviously has potential but I couldn't help but notice his deficiencies. A bit lightweight, not great at dribbling, lackadaisical out of possession with his pressing and tracking back.
 
Sancho and Nkunku on the flanks, both can work well wide or cut in or switch sides. Ronaldo in the middle with Bruno in behind.

Would be super.
 
VP89 said:
Sancho and Nkunku on the flanks, both can work well wide or cut in or switch sides. Ronaldo in the middle with Bruno in behind.

Would be super.
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And they'd all be switching and comfortable in all positions. If Ten Hag can coach an organised press with all them, then we'll be sucking diesel.
 
RedRonaldo said:
He could play across front 3 and AM, so I think he would have lots of chance play, even if Ronaldo stays.
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I won’t pretend to know the extent of his career but does anyone honestly know how many times Nkunku has played as a right sided player ? I just don’t want us to keep signing players and playing them out of position just because they signed, we signed Sancho to solve the right side and now he’s almost exclusively on the left.
 
Ah didn't know, another psg product, maybe they should try to stick with them young lads.
 
The versatility point is a blessing and a curse, really. Players with great off the ball movement and general game intelligence can be lethal in the final third of a pitch (Muller; Griezmann etc). But at the same time, the lack of a defined position also makes them a bit of a conundrum as to where to fit them.
 
DWelbz19 said:
The versatility point is a blessing and a curse, really. Players with great off the ball movement and general game intelligence can be lethal in the final third of a pitch (Muller; Griezmann etc). But at the same time, the lack of a defined position also makes them a bit of a conundrum as to where to fit them.
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How about the massive Nkunku shaped crater on our right wing?
 
4231 formation with Fernandes on the left (where is risky passing won't be much of a problem for Ten Hag) Sancho on the right, Nkuku playing behind Ronaldo with all three of them having licence to roam around Ronaldo.

Means we'll need a pretty energetic left back to cover for Fernandes lack of pace, probably need to upgrade the right back too to offer Sancho some attacking support (like Hakimi during their time in Germany).

We'd definitely need a destroyer that can cover the fullbacks when they're on the attack, but also he able to play abit, beating the press and being able to pass efficiently to the more attacking players.
 
yumtum said:
4231 formation with Fernandes on the left (where is risky passing won't be much of a problem for Ten Hag) Sancho on the right, Nkuku playing behind Ronaldo with all three of them having licence to roam around Ronaldo.

Means we'll need a pretty energetic left back to cover for Fernandes lack of pace, probably need to upgrade the right back too to offer Sancho some attacking support (like Hakimi during their time in Germany).

We'd definitely need a destroyer that can cover the fullbacks when they're on the attack, but also he able to play abit, beating the press and being able to pass efficiently to the more attacking players.
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Maybe Dumfries is an option., very powerful rightback. As defensive midfielder I am hoping for Tchouameni.
 
Nkunku and Sancho on the wings, 4-3-3 with CR7 as a striker.

A DM (Kamara, Tchouameni) next to Bruno/VDB and Fred and it seems pretty decent setup.
 
davidmichael said:
I won’t pretend to know the extent of his career but does anyone honestly know how many times Nkunku has played as a right sided player ? I just don’t want us to keep signing players and playing them out of position just because they signed, we signed Sancho to solve the right side and now he’s almost exclusively on the left.
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According to whoscored, his stats this season on different positions:

FW - 17 games 9 goals 7 assists (avg rating 7.73)
AM - 13 games 12 goals 4 assists (7.87)
RW - 6 games 4 goals (7.31)
LW - 4 games 1 goals (7.1)

I haven't watch him play, but he looks quite versatile to me, at least he doesn't just stick to one position, at the very least he could play as CF or AM equally well, and does his jobs on both flanks too.

Maybe we could even play Bruno on the flank sometimes, and let him take over the AM role.
 
Shane88 said:
When are we going to learn with the Bundesliga?
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Don't think we should ever write off an entire top league just because of a few duds.

For every Kagawa, Sokratis, Schweinsteiger, and Mkhitaryan we've seen the likes of Son, Gundogan, De Bruyne and Aubameyang shine in the prem.

It's too reductive to say signings from one league are destined not to work out.
 
Rolaholic said:
Don't think we should ever write off an entire top league just because of a few duds.

For every Kagawa, Sokratis, Schweinsteiger, and Mkhitaryan we've seen the likes of Son, Gundogan, De Bruyne and Aubameyang shine in the prem.

It's too reductive to say signings from one league are destined not to work out.
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Who buys them is a big factor. The first 4 you mentioned were signed by us and Arsenal during periods where we were a mess and 2 of the other 4 signed for City. Plus Liverpool have had great success with players like Konate, Firmino, Thiago and Matip (Keita not so much). Any team that is well run will have a higher success rate with players no matter where they sign them from. And those who are more scatter gun will be a lot more hit and miss with the same sort of players from the same sort of leagues.
 
Shane88 said:
When are we going to learn with the Bundesliga?
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When are we going to learn with the premier league - Maguire, AWB, Schneiderlin, Phil Jones, Sanchez, Lukaku, Matic, Mata, Shaw(ish), Fellaini

When are we going to learn with Portugal - Telles, Dalot, Lindelof

When are we going to learn with the Eredivisie - Van De Beek, Depay, Blind

When are we going to learn with Serie A - Pogba, Darmian

I could go on. It’s not the leagues that have burnt us, it’s the recruitment in general.
 
Rolaholic said:
Don't think we should ever write off an entire top league just because of a few duds.

For every Kagawa, Sokratis, Schweinsteiger, and Mkhitaryan we've seen the likes of Son, Gundogan, De Bruyne and Aubameyang shine in the prem.

It's too reductive to say signings from one league are destined not to work out.
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Exactly.
 
macheda14 said:
When are we going to learn with the premier league - Maguire, AWB, Schneiderlin, Phil Jones, Sanchez, Lukaku, Matic, Mata, Shaw(ish), Fellaini

When are we going to learn with Portugal - Telles, Dalot, Lindelof

When are we going to learn with the Eredivisie - Van De Beek, Depay, Blind

When are we going to learn with Serie A - Pogba, Darmian

I could go on. It’s not the leagues that have burnt us, it’s the recruitment in general.
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Couldn't have said it better.
 
davidmichael said:
I just find it hard to see where Nkunku fits in a team that would have to include Ronaldo, Fernandes and Sancho unless we go 4-3-3 with Fernandes in a midfield three with licence to bomb forward like Lampard used too at Chelsea then have Nkunku and Sancho either side of Ronaldo alternating sides ?

I’d love to see us sign him as he looks a perfect ETH system player and is the right profile seeing as he’s on the way up and hungry rather than being a superstar signing just coming for a pay day but from what I’ve seen his best role is as a false 9 or 10/support striker who can play from the left but I think if Sancho is playing from the left going forward with Rashford in reserve we need to focus on the right hand side.
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Central with Ronaldo & Sancho either side of him. He’s pretty much perfect for the role and his link play with both would be outstanding.
 
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