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Chelsea confirm £53m Christopher Nkunku transfer as RB Leipzig forward joins Blues on six-year deal.
Chelsea have announced the long-awaited signing of Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig. The Frenchman’s potential move to Stamford Bridge was the worst-kept secret in the sport over the last year, with reports claiming he passed a medical and agreed to join the Blues in December.
His £53 million release clause had to be triggered by Chelsea at the conclusion of the 2022–23 season, but the transfer is already finalized. Nkunku’s four-year tenure at RB Leipzig has come to an end as he has committed his future to the Blues through the year 2029.
After helping Leipzig finish the 2022–23 season in the top four and win the DFB–Pokal, Nkunku has already concluded moving to west London.
The 25-year-old expressed his delight over the move in a statement on Chelsea’s official website, which reads: “I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea,” said Nkunku. “A big effort was made to bring me to the club and I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and teammates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch. Having played in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I now want to play in the Premier League, one of the strongest leagues in the world. I am very excited for this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt.”
Chelsea’s co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley added: “Christopher has proved himself one of the standout attacking players in European football over the past two seasons and will add quality, creativity and versatility to our squad. He has demonstrated his ability at the highest level with RB Leipzig and France and we look forward to him joining up with his new teammates ahead of the new season.”
Nkunku is a Blue! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/NASfDOG0Xg
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 20, 2023
Nkunku becomes Mauricio Pochettino’s first official signing.
The 25-year-old struggled with injuries during the 2022/23 season but still had an impact in his final year at Leipzig, scoring 23 goals and assisting nine times in 36 games across all competitions.