He’s been showing an exceptional eye for goal in preseason. Christopher Nkunkwo, 25, is the reason Chelsea has high hopes for him.
Chelsea defeated Fulham 2-0 in a preseason match on Aug. 31 at FedEx Field in Maryland, USA. With the win, Chelsea became the inaugural winners of the English Premier League (PL) Summer Series.
A total of four teams participated in the Premier League Summer Series. Chelsea came out on top with two wins and a draw. Fulham, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa, and Brentford also participated.
Chelsea is looking to rebound under Mauricio Pochettino. The Blues finished the 2022-23 season in 12th place in the Premier League. Chairman Todd Boeli’s choice, Graham Potter, was sacked midway through the season. The club finished the season with legendary midfielder Frank Lampard as interim manager. Pochettino, a Premier League veteran with stints at Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, took over at Chelsea.
He got off to a strong start in preseason. Nkunku, who officially joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in Germany this summer, has been in scorching form. He scored three goals in four games. In the final against Fulham, he scored in the 41st minute to give Chelsea a 2-1 win.
Chelsea had been without a goalie for years. Romelu Lukaku, 30, the club’s most expensive signing in history, failed to deliver. They haven’t had a proper top striker since Diego Costa (now of Wolverhampton Wanderers).
That’s why they brought in Nkunkwo, who blew up the German scene. According to local reports in England, Nkunku had already completed negotiations to join Chelsea last winter. It was just a matter of making it official this summer. Chelsea had high hopes for the versatile striker. Nkunkwo’s transfer fee was reportedly €60 million. 꽁머니지급
Nkunkwo can play as an attacking midfielder, a frontline striker, and a winger. In 172 games for Leipzig, he scored 70 goals and provided 56 assists. In 2021-22, he scored 20 goals and provided 15 assists in 34 Bundesliga games. He was named the German league’s Most Valuable Player (MOM), drawing interest from big European clubs. Nkunku chose to join Chelsea. Since joining, he has scored three goals in four games, raising hopes that he will be a key part of Chelsea’s rebound next season.