Manchester United have been quoted a cut-price fee of £35m to sign a striker from a rival Premier League side this summer with the Blues looking to offload the Frenchman
John Cross Chief Football Writer and Adam Cailler Senior reporter and Reddit team lead
20:48, 05 Jul 2025Updated 20:48, 05 Jul 2025
Ruben Amorim needs a new striker
Ruben Amorim needs a new striker(Image: Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United have been slapped with a £35m price tag to snap up Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku. The Red Devils have the out-of-favour Nkunku on their summer striker hit-list, with Chelsea set to swallow a hefty loss on the player they shelled out £52m for just two years ago.
Nkunku, 27, has been deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge following their splurge on Joao Pedro and Liam Delap this summer for a whopping £90m combined, and they're poised to seal a £55m deal for Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens as their big spending spree continues.
However, they'll need to offload some players after being whacked with a staggering £78.5m fine by UEFA for breaching spending rules.
Christopher Nkunku is not part of Chelsea's plans
Christopher Nkunku is not part of Chelsea's plans(Image: Getty Images)
A hefty slice of the fine - £51m - is suspended, but Chelsea still need to toe the line and are bracing themselves for a major clear-out this summer.
French international Nkunku is on United's radar as a potential recruit, though they've also got their eye on Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins as another possible target, reports the Mirror.
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United are keen to ship out Alejandro Garnacho, who has previously caught Chelsea's eye, but their financial constraints and the need to comply with UEFA's sanctions may put a spanner in the works.
This could have paved the way for a potential swap deal, but Chelsea might need to focus on straight sales and trimming their squad size.
With a plethora of forwards including Nicolas Jackson – whose disciplinary record has made him a bit of a liability after seeing red at the end of the Premier League season and in the Club World Cup – Chelsea certainly have options to consider.
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Brazilian ace Pedro, who can play as a central striker or out wide, has only heightened the chances of Nkunku's exit.
Although the former RB Leipzig forward might not be United's first choice, he could be a bargain buy, particularly as they're eyeing up a deal for Bryan Mbeumo after already securing Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
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