Chelsea star ready to leave in the summer if he's reduced to bench role by Enzo Maresca - Reports

Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku is ready to leave the club in the summer if he is not afforded regular football by Enzo Maresca, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg. The French forward has registered 10 goals from 16 games across competitions for the Blues this season.

Nkunku arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2023 from RB Leipzig in a £52m deal. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old missed much of last campaign due to injuries, which restricted him to just 14 appearances for the club.

Nkunku returned to full fitness at the tail end of last campaign and was quite impressive under Enzo Maresca in pre-season. Unfortunately, the Frenchman has started just one game for Chelsea in the Premier League this campaign, which was the opening-day defeat to Manchester City.

Since then, all of Nkunku's starts have been in the Conference League and the EFL Cup. The player is understandably frustrated by the situation and is assessing his options.

The Frenchman is not looking to leave the Blues in the middle of the campaign and remains determined to prove himself under Maresca. However, if the Italian manager continues to use him in a bench role, the player will consider his future at the end of the season.

With the London giants expected to return for Victor Osimhen in 2025, Nkunku's situation could get further complicated. The player's contract with Chelsea runs until 2029, but he will not be short of suitors if he wants to leave.

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Will Chelsea reinforce their attack in 2025?

Victor Osimhen

Chelsea invested heavily in the squad this summer as well, bringing in multiple new faces. The Blues signed Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Marc Guiu to strengthen their attack, while Jadon Sancho arrived from Manchester United on loan.

However, the London giants missed out on Victor Osimhen, who was their priority target for the No. 9 role. Chelsea apparently negotiated late into deadline day for the Nigerian striker, but couldn't convince him to join on loan.

Osimhen ultimately joined Galatasaray on loan, and there's reportedly a break clause in his deal that can be activated in the winter. However, the player has recently stated that he wants to see the season out with the Turkish club.

The Blues remain on the hunt for a new No. 9 and a move for the Nigerian next summer cannot be ruled out. Recent reports (via The Hard Tackle) have suggested that Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres is also being eyed by the London giants.