According to The Athletic, Manchester United remain in the pursuit of Chelsea playmaker Christopher Nkunku this summer.
Man United are aiming to bolster their attacking department for the 2025/26 campaign, and they have already secured the services of Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha.
The Red Devils are also making progress for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, and The Athletic claim that Nkunku remains another player of interest for the Mancunian giants this summer.
Bayern Munich are also mentioned as long-term admirers of the Frenchman, and they could return for the attacker after missing out on signing Florian Wirtz and Nico Williams.
Top-class
Nkunku has had a difficult career with the Blues. He arrived with a huge reputation from RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, but has failed to meet expectations over the last 2 years.
The Frenchman had an injury-plagued debut season with the west London giants, and his 2nd year has been frustrating too due to manager Enzo Maresca’s reluctance to start him regularly.
Nicolas Jackson has been the go-to striker for the Italian head coach. With the arrival of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town this summer, Nkunku has fallen further down the pecking order for the no.9 role.
The 27-year-old has still found success with 15 goals and 5 assists in all competitions. If Nkunku were to leave Chelsea, he may want playing time guarantees from his preferred no.10 position.
United would be a lucrative destination as they play with two no.10s in the XI. The Red Devils have bolstered their attacking midfield department with Cunha and are also determined to land Brentford’s Mbeumo.
So far, they have been unable to strike an agreement for the Cameroonian. If the proposed deal falls through, they could turn their attention to purchasing Nkunku from the Blues instead.
Chelsea were looking for a hefty £65 million to part ways with Nkunku in January, but they may have to lower their price tag significantly for either United or Bayern to purchase him.
The Blues must raise up to £60 million this summer to meet UEFA’s registration rules. United could use the same to their advantage to secure a sizeable discount on the reported asking price.
