Troy Deeney has been massively underwhelmed by the impact of one player since he joined Chelsea.
Even though the Chelsea owners have injected a lot cash into assembling the Blues squad, the success rate on signings has been mixed.
On the positive side of things, the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella have come good for the Blues. Frank Leboeuf recently praised Cucurella for turning things around after a slow start at Stamford Bridge.
Unfortunately, the list of unsuccessful signings in recent transfer windows is a lot longer.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Troy Deeney disappointed by Christopher Nkunku at Chelsea
Troy Deeney thinks that Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku, 27, has been a let down since he joined from German Bundesliga club RB Leipzig in 2023.
When discussing Blues attacker Nkunku, Deeney told talkSPORT: “I think Nkunku has been a massive disappointment for Chelsea, [given] what they thought they were buying.”
Even though Nkunku has scored 14 goals in 38 games across all competitions this season for Chelsea, he’s only netted three times in the Premier League. It feels like the only reason he’s getting a regular run of starts right now is because of injuries within the squad.
Chelsea are open to selling Nkunku in the summer amid interest from Bayern Munich.
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We agree that there was a lot of excitement when he arrived in West London, but fans haven’t seen the player recreate his Leipzig displays. He certainly doesn’t look like someone operating at the peak of his powers.
Club Appearances Goals Goals per game
Chelsea 172 70 0.41
RB Leipzig 52 17 0.33
Christopher Nkunku record
Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
Jason Cundy verdict on Christopher Nkunku after defeat to Arsenal
Following Chelsea’s 1-0 Premier League defeat away to Arsenal on Sunday, Jason Cundy weighed in on the Nkunku situation.
He’s adamant that the Frenchman isn’t suited to play on the wing or as a striker. Instead, he needs to be playing in a No 10 position.
Even with Cole Palmer absent from the weekend’s derby against Arsenal, Nkunku still didn’t start as a No 10 because Enzo Fernandez filled the void, and he operated from the left flank again.
Cundy told talkSPORT: “If you’re Nkunku, you must be sitting there thinking, ‘When am I going to get a chance to play in what is considered my best position?’ He isn’t a wide player; he isn’t a number nine.”
It’s interesting that Paul Merson agrees Nkunku isn’t a winger, blaming Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca for using him out of position.
The eye test will tell you that Nkunku likes to drift into central pockets in between the lines, which is why it’s hard to imagine him carving out a successful career when he’s competing with Palmer as a teammate.