Manchester City keen on surprise move to sign Chelsea defender; Blues make transfer decision: Reports

Manchester City are interested in Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong, according to The Guardian. However, the report adds that Enzo Maresca has no desire to let him go this summer.

The London giants are without Wesley Fofana due to fitness issues, and recently lost Levi Colwill to an ACL injury. The Italian manager has already expressed his dissatisfaction at the Blues' failure to bolster his backline following the Englishman's long-term injury.

Chelsea have signed Jorrel Hato from Ajax this summer, and the Dutchman will add more options at the back for Maresca. However, the Italian also has Acheampong at his disposal, and is reportedly a fan of the 19-year-old.

Interestingly, the Englishman apparently has admirers at the Etihad as well, and Manchester City are ready to prise him away this summer. Acheampong played at centerback in the pre-season game against Bayer Leverkusen and has supposedly convinced City.

However, the Blues have no desire to let him go this summer and will not entertain any offers for the player. Bournemouth are apparently interested in the teenager as well, and could need defensive reinforcements after the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool this Friday.

The London giants, though, consider Acheampong an integral part of their plans. With Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo the only fit centerbacks available right now, the teeenager could be in contention to feature for Chelsea against Crystal Palace this weekend.

Will Christopher Nkunku leave Chelsea this summer?

Bayern Munich are in talks with Chelsea regarding a move for Christopher Nkunku this summer, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg. The French forward is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and the Blues are ready to move him on this year.

Nkunku arrived at the club from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 in a reported €60m deal. However, the 27-year-old has failed to live up to expectations so far, managing 18 goals and five assists from 62 games to date.

Enzo Maresca is not entirely convinced by Nkunku and the London giants are looking to cash in on him this summer. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are eyeing a replacement for Kingsley Coman, who is in talks to join Al-Nassr.

Once that move materializes, the Bavarians could turn their attention to Nkunku. The Bundesliga champions reportedly have an agreement in place with the player's camp since January. However, Bayern Munich are considering a loan deal, while Chelsea are interested in a permanent transfer.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Deepungsu Pandit