Chelsea target Havertz to repeat with £52m star
ChelseaThe start to the 2024/25 season has been nothing short of remarkable, with a new boss Enzo Maresca taking to life at Stamford Bridge like a duck to water.
The Italian has already guided the Blues to second place in England’s top flight, while maintaining a 100% record in the Europa Conference League, taking the Blues to the top of the table.
He has transformed the side in a short time, bringing a beautiful attacking style seen the club score 37 times – the second best record in the division behind London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Cole Palmer has continued his excellent form in the new season, registering 17 contributions to the goal in the league, playing a major role in their recent success in the final third.
However, the same cannot be said for a player who could be on the verge of leaving the west London side after his lack of first-team action in recent months.
Chelsea could be on the verge of offloading a £52m star
According to reports in Spain, the Chelsea striker Christopher Nkunku has he has been offered the opportunity to join LaLiga Barcelona in January through his agent Pini Zahavi.
The French joined the Blues for £52m in the summer of 2023, but missed most of his debut season in England with a knee injury.
However, he is made 16 league appearances so far, but only two of them have started, and the rest have come off the bench.
Nkunku is still registered 12 goals in all competitionswith seven reaching the Conference League, which helped Maresca’s to lead the table after the first six games.
The report claims he is frustrated with his lack of playing timepotentially looking for a move in January, either temporarily or permanently with Barca only an option on the table.
However, Maresca must find a way to incorporate the former RB Leipzig man into his plans to avoid a repeat of a player who has thrived since moving away from the club.
Why Nkunku could be a repeat of Havertz for Chelsea
Kai Havertz arrived with great potential following his move to Chelsea in the summer of 2020, it costs around £72m of the German Bayer Leverkusen.
The 25-year-old, who often operated as an attacking midfielder or forward, he only scored 32 goals in his three years with the Blues, but his most important was the Champions League trophy in his debut campaign against Manchester City.
Many supporters were disappointed by his lack of impact, leading to a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal in the summer of 2023, a move that would transform his career.
International of Germany he registered 14 goals in all competitions last season, playing a big part in the title for Mikel Arteta, who has already scored 11 goals in the current campaign, as the Gunners once again attempt to end their long drought without a league win.
He would certainly have been a huge asset under current boss Maresca if he had kept the striker, with Nkunku very similar to the former first-team star in numerous ways.
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How Havertz compares to Chelsea’s forwards from 2023/24 |
|
|---|---|
|
player |
goals |
|
Cole Palmer |
33 |
|
Nicholas Jackson |
23 |
|
Kai Havertz |
19 |
|
You Maduek |
10 |
|
Christopher Nkunku |
5 |
|
Mykhailo Mudryk |
5 |
|
Pedro Neto |
3 |
|
Jadon Sancho |
2 |
|
Statistics via PhotoMob (PL only) |
|
Both like to operate behind the striker, but are more than capable of playing as a lone striker, leading the line and producing the goods as their respective accounts see fit.
Neither have quite lived up to the hype given their mammoth transfer fees, but they have scored consistently at key times, with Nkunku particularly doing so this campaign – scoring the second-most goals in the ‘blue team behind Palmer.
The Frenchman has clearly shown that he is capable of providing the necessary quality when given the opportunity, potentially making any sale they would regret, which could see a repeat of a deal for Havertz.
Maresca has countless options at his disposal inside the final third, but it’s a travesty that Nkunku hasn’t featured more given his recent goalscoring prowess.
His frustration is understandable given his lack of action in the Premier League, but the club must find a suitable plan to keep him at the Bridge to avoid losing a top quality striker in the process.
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