In the summer of 2023, Nkunku joined Chelsea for £52 million. Before that, he had a great time playing for RB Leipzig, with a record of 70 goals and 56 assists in 172 appearances. However, Nkunku was unlucky in his first season for Chelsea, as he was constantly injured. As a result, he only played 14 matches in all competitions, scoring 3 goals.
Under coach Enzo Maresca, Nkunku was expected to soon become the spearhead of Chelsea's attack. However, the current situation does not show that. After 4 matches in the Premier League, the French striker has started once, with a total playing time of only 80 minutes.
In the press conference before Chelsea's match against West Ham in round 5 of the Premier League, coach Enzo Maresca shared about how he used Nkunku, according to Football London: "We used Christoph as a number 9 (center forward) in the last match, in the last 10 minutes.
He is completely different to Nicolas in terms of quality and skill. Nicolas is a No. 9, Christo is not a No. 9. But I can also use him in a different way.”
So, despite the wide-playing ability that Nkunku showed at Leipzig, the striker wants to play in a narrow box at Chelsea. Currently, Nicolas Jackson is the number one striker, so the Frenchman will have to wait.
Enzo Maresca continued: "Nkunku doesn't like to play too far from the box, he wants to get close to the goal. But sometimes to balance, a player has to accept playing in a position that is not his most preferred. Christoph played wider against Man City, but the important thing is that he tried and adapted."
