Nkunku can't arrive soon enough for floundering Chelsea
FT Desk
- 29 Oct 2022 21:20 BST
- 4 min read
At this point it is almost a given that the beginning of the January transfer window will prompt significant movement from Chelsea.
Christopher Nkunku is one player widely expected to complete a move, having picked up where he left off in 2021-22 with another brilliant season so far with RB Leipzig in front of goal.
The big question at this point, though, is if Chelsea can afford to wait for the star and others to arrive in time to save their floundering campaign.
Saturday's 4-1 hammering at the hands of Brighton marked the most bruising of homecomings for former Seagulls boss Graham Potter.
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It was Potter's first defeat since taking over from Thomas Tuchel in September, and indeed the Blues' first reverse in the Premier League for almost two months.
But in addition to taking the club's winless league run to three games, it was the manner of their capitulation which will cause the manager sleepless nights.
Assembled for a fraction of the gigantic sum which has gone into the Blues' starting line-up, and having sold Marc Cucurella to Stamford Bridge over the summer, Brighton nevertheless took their opponents apart in a savage three-goal first-half mauling which all but ended the game as a contest.
Chelsea later came back with Kai Havertz cutting the deficit but were left to rue a string of missed chances, while Brighton did not err when Pascal Grob had the opportunity to kill the game off once and for all.
And while the scoreline seems to point to the Blues' defensive frailties letting them down the real story is hidden within that result.
Goal-shy Chelsea suffering
With just 17 goals in 12 games Chelsea have the worst record of any of the top five in front of goal, and in the top half of the Premier League table only Manchester United (having played a game fewer) and Crystal Palace have troubled the scorers less frequently.
Perhaps the most damning statistic is that Erling Haaland on his own has netted as many as the entire Chelsea squad, while the Blues' most prolific marksmen, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz, have just three a piece to their name with almost a third of the season complete.
Could Nkunku turn the tide? Most recent reports suggest that a deal is all but complete with Leipzig to sign the 24-year-old, with the only remaining point of contention over whether the signing will go through in January or next July.
The striker certainly promises to add a cutting edge, boasting 13 goals in 19 games this term after smashing 35 in all competitions in 2021-22. His dribbling and awareness around the area would also bring a new dimension to the Chelsea attack and he is comfortable playing either down the middle or on the wing.
But Chelsea have also been here before. The likes of Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku and most recently Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived at Stamford Bridge with sparkling numbers elsewhere only to go cold almost as soon as the blue shirt touched their shoulders.
Potter cannot count on Nkunku as a magic remedy for his side's attacking woes - and in any case, he must find a solution right now to stop the season going off the rails before the Leipzig man can even sign his contract.
