“I wasn’t happy for one year” - Christopher Nkunku opens up on ‘difficult’ frustration after Chelsea transfer

Christopher Nkunku recently opened up about his first season (2023-24) with Chelsea as they prepare for the upcoming season. He highlighted how it was difficult for him due to injuries but added that he's ready to work and be happy.

The Blues signed Nkunku from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of £52 million last summer. He was the joint-highest goalscorer in the Bundesliga in the 2022-23 season with 16 goals, tied with Niclas Fullkrug. Hence, he was expected to be a big signing for the west London side.

However, Nkunku suffered a knee injury during pre-season and remained out until December. He played a few games but then had multiple other injuries and registered just 14 appearances across competitions.

The Frenchman recently opened up about his first season with the club, saying (via Chelseafc.com):

"To be honest, I don’t have the feeling I had a first season here,’ admits Nkunku. ‘It was very difficult. I played just a little bit. Some minutes here, some minutes there. I was very frustrated all the season.

"Last year I didn’t have one moment in the season where I can say I felt good. After my knee injury, I didn’t feel like I now do. I had my knee, then my hip, then a muscle injury in a row. It never stopped. That’s why I was very frustrated.

"The most important thing now is to be ready to work and to be happy in myself. I wasn’t happy for one year, so the most important thing is to be happy. You cannot share moments with fans if you are not happy."

Nkunku scored three goals for the Blues last season with all three coming in the Premier League.

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Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku set to reunite with Antonio Conte: Reports

As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are in advanced talks with Napoli for a potential transfer of Romelu Lukaku. This will see the Belgian striker reunite with manager Antonio Conte. They won the Serie A title during their time together at Inter Milan in the 2020-21 season.

Romano said (via Caught Offside):

“This week in London a director of Napoli has been working on the deal for Romelu Lukaku. We know that Lukaku has an agreement with Napoli for a three-year contract, the salary is okay and the player is already talking with Antonio Conte. He wants to go to Napoli, but work is still ongoing."

Lukaku re-joined Chelsea from Inter Milan in 2021 for over £97 million and spent just one season with them. He's since spent time on loan back at Inter and AS Roma.