Chelsea are being heavily linked with RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku, with some reports claiming a 'secret medical' has already happened.
After ending the 2022 summer transfer window as the Premier League's highest spenders, Chelsea seem to already be preparing for next season. With a new boss in charge following Graham Potter's arrival after the transfer window, the Englishman will be keen to acquire players more to his style.
One of the rumoured players is RB Leipzig's Nkunku, with Bild Germany reporting the Frenchman has had a 'secret medical' at Stamford Bridge. Fabrizio Romano has also said via his CaughtOffside column that Chelsea has sent a proposal to Nkunku that the forward is 'happy' with, whilst football.london understands that the Blues have had a long-term interest in the 24-year-old.
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So, if Chelsea were to bring Nkunku to Stamford Bridge next summer, how could the season unfold? We simulated next season with Nkunku in the Blues squad to find out.
We 'signed' Christopher Nkunku for Chelsea next summer
To run this simulation, we used the in-game editor for Football Manager 2022 to transfer Nkunku to Chelsea on July 1, 2023. We also allowed the simulation to make any other transfers, with the Blues adding Declan Rice and Timothy Castagne to their ranks.
Nkunku was outstanding in his first season with Chelsea, ending his first campaign as a Blue with more goals and assists than anyone else in the squad. The Frenchman made 50 appearances in all competitions, registering an impressive 25 goals and 19 assists in that time.
His contribution was the biggest in the Premier League, with Nkunku grabbing the most assists in the league and finishing second in the golden boot list. In 37 league games, Nkunku scored 18 and assisted 15, whilst averaging a rating of 7.34 per game.
That was his average rating in all competitions, but despite his incredible attacking output, Kai Havertz still registered a higher rating per game (7.5). The German also won the most player of the match awards (8), whilst Nkunku topped the charts in every other attacking stat.
Raheem Sterling scored 20 along with Havertz's 19, but there was a big drop-off to the next top scorer, with Armando Broja scoring five. Mason Mount only scored three goals in all competitions as he was deployed deeper on the pitch, though he still managed 14 assists.
At the end of the season, FM22 released the Best XI from the Chelsea squad, using player statistics, league data and other measures to complete the team. Here's Chelsea's Best XI for the 2023/24 season, according to our simulation.
Full Chelsea Best XI (4-3-3): Mendy; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Cucurella; Kovacic, Rice, Mount; Sterling, Nkunku, Havertz.
Nkunku made the Blues' best XI in the sole striker role, with Sterling and Havertz being deployed on the wings. Mount, Rice and Mateo Kovacic made up the three-man midfield as N'Golo Kante missed out, whilst Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Castagne were all absent in defence.
Chelsea's 2023/24 season overall with Nkunku
Chelsea finished second in the Premier League during the 2023/24 season, with Manchester City finishing 10 points ahead to claim another league title. In total, the Blues tallied 73 points - one more than Liverpool in third and three more than Arsenal in fourth.
Spurs finished in fifth, 11 points behind Chelsea as the top four ran away from the rest of the pack. Despite Nkunku's high goalscoring contribution, the lack of goals from elsewhere in the squad saw Chelsea score the least goals out of the top four.
Chelsea did manage one trophy in the simulation though, and it was the big one. After going 1-0 down to Manchester City, Wesley Fofana's equaliser followed by Nkunku's brace saw the Blues lift the UEFA Champions League trophy.
Chelsea failed to replicate the success in other competitions, with the quarter-finals the furthest Potter's side went. A 2-1 loss to Aston Villa saw the Blues exit the FA Cup, whilst defeat on penalties to Southampton saw the Saints advance in the Carabao Cup.
Overall, FM22 predicts that Nkunku could flourish at Chelsea, establishing himself as one of the best players in world football. Not only could the move excel his career, but he could play a vital role in Chelsea winning the Champions League trophy as he did in the simulation. All Chelsea fans would be happy to wait until next summer if these are the results the Frenchman could produce.
Do you think Nkunku could be a good signing for Chelsea? Let us know in the comments.
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