Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has praised his international teammate Christopher Nkunku as the pair link up together for France. Nkunku is set to join up with Fofana at Stamford Bridge this summer after a pre-agreement for the 25-year-old was reached earlier this season.
The RB Leipzig attacker finished as the top scorer in Germany despite missing a sizeable chunk of the campaign with injury and is in fine form having scored four times in his final five league games as well in the cup final win over Frankfurt in which he also laid on a second.
It means he has now scored 58 goals in all competitions across the past two seasons with 36 of those coming in just 59 league games. With 21 assists in the same league games, he is one of the most in-form players in Europe.
For £52m, Chelsea have secured the signing of Nkunku, though it is still yet to be made official, and will see him under the management of Mauricio Pochettino next season in an exciting link-up. Who he is alongside in the squad is less certain.
Chelsea and Pochettino have the need for a massive clearout over the summer with a host of attacking changes expected to follow his official start on July 1. Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could all depart the club with Kai Havertz another that may have played their last game.
Nkunku coming in will also have to wait to find out who lead the line alongside him with striker targets appearing plentiful. No progress has yet been made on bringing any new centre forwards in but options such as Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen and Lautaro Martinez are all being stewed over.
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Luckily for Nkunku, one player he can be certain will be present is Fofana. The 22-year-old had a tough opening season at Stamford Bridge after a lengthy injury ruled him out of a key period over the winter as well as ruling him out of the World Cup. When he did return their was initial improvement before a struggle to end the campaign as defensive performances dipped.
Nkunku also missed the World Cup after picking up an injury in training on the eve of the tournament. He himself came back strongly to lead Leipzig to a successful domestic campaign. The pair are now set to finally play together for Didier Deschamps' France side when they play Gibraltar.
Ahead of the game, Fofana was asked about his teammate. "If it happens, I’m very happy," he said. "He has enormous qualities. It would be pure happiness to have him with us."
Chelsea fans feel similarly after only scored 38 times in the league this season with Havertz's seven goals being the most of anyone in the squad. It is a new low for the club even after Jorginho set a low bar with eight in the 2020/21 season. Mason Mount topped the charts with 11 last year.
Nkunku will be hoping to change that as soon as he enters the door and the full confidence of his teammate that it could be a match made in heaven, before then they will be looking to make strike up an early relationship on the pitch ahead of time.
Nkunku himself was coy on the move, saying: "I am focused on gathering with Les Bleus. Everything that happens after, we will have time to think."
He also gave an indirect hint to Pochettino, explaining his preferred role: "I play where the coach decides. I don’t want to be a problem but a solution.
"But I can be in front, in support or on the sides. I have this ability to adapt it - I like to be free."
Both players have been active on social media in recent days, too. Nkunku posted an image of him with the caption: "Here we go again." He has also been enjoying the time with his international teammates and posted images to his story alongside Aurelian Tchoumani and Ousmane Dembele.
Fofana simply put a castle emoji as he met up with the senior side. Upon his selection he penned another message, writing: "From the Blues to les Bleus."
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