Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has had to think somewhat outside of the box in recent weeks in the absence of first-choice centre-forward Nicolas Jackson.
The 23-year-old Senegal international has been out injured with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of the last five Premier League games.
Although the Chelsea boss confirmed he will be available for selection against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night, it remains to be seen if he will start. Replacing him has not been easy; the 23-year-old has nine goals and five assists in 23 Premier League games this term.
Jackson
One of the players tasked with stepping up in the absence of Jackson was Christopher Nkunku.
The latest on Christopher Nkunku’s Chelsea future
Nkunku’s numbers this season across competitions are more than reasonable. The Frenchman, who is a graduate of Paris Saint-Germain’s academy, has scored 14 times and grabbed five assists in 38 games.
Christopher Nkunku scores for Chelsea
However, just three of those strikes and two assists have come in the Premier League in 25 games. In the run of five games without Jackson, the former RB Leipzig star has scored and assisted just two goals, both of which came against Southampton.
However, his form across the season could well be a concern for the Blues. This could lead to Nkunku’s departure in the summer transfer window. A report from GiveMeSport at the end of March suggests the Frenchman will leave Stamford Bridge.
He was close to leaving the club in January for a fee reported to be £60m. A return to the Bundesliga was on the cards, with Bayern Munich supposedly interested. Now, it seems a departure is inevitable.
Christopher Nkunku in action for Chelsea
If he is to leave the club in the summer, perhaps Chelsea already have their dream replacement waiting in the wings, in the form of a young talent who is currently out on loan.
Chelsea’s in-house Nkunku replacement
Chelsea have infamously become known for buying lots of elite young talent over the past few summers and keeping them on the backburner until they are ready to make an impact at first-team level.
In the pipeline
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Well, one of the best examples of this is perhaps 19-year-old striker Deivid Washington. The Brazilian is currently on loan at Santos, the club from which he was originally bought from by the Blues back in August 2023.
He has only played two games and 28 minutes in his second spell at the Brazilian giants, and is yet to find the back of the net. However, he did score two goals during his initial stint at the club, after breaking through the esteemed academy that produced the legendary Neymar, now a teammate of Washington.
deivid-washington-santos-premier-league
The attacker, who can play as a centre-forward, out wide on the left or just behind the striker, has made a real impression for the Blues’ youth team so far.
Across two seasons, he has scored ten goals and grabbed an assist in 18 games.
Washington's record for Chelsea academy
Competition
Premier League 2 (2023/24)
Premier League 2 playoffs (2023/24)
EFL Trophy (2024/25)
Premier League 2 (2024/25)
Stats from Transfermarkt
He has also shown goal-scoring nous for Brazil’s under-20s. He has been handed eight caps at that level of international football, scoring three goals, including a fantastic diving header against Ecuador.
The Santos academy graduate was once described as a “highly talented” star by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and this certainly rings true when looking at what he has achieved in academy football so far.
With more exposure to senior football as a Santos player and, in the longer term, in a Chelsea shirt, the Blues could have an excellent player on their hands. He has already played three times for the West Londoners, and will surely hope to be given even more of an opportunity.
Thiago Silva-1
He is certainly a player Chelsea fans can get excited about, and if Nkunku does depart this summer, then Maresca might have a ready-made replacement waiting for his chance in 2026.
Chelsea-Gyokeres Related
[He's like Gyokeres: Chelsea plot bid for "one of the best STs in the world"](https://www.footballfancast.com/their-answer-to-gyokeres-chelsea-plot-move-for-jonathan-david/ "He's like Gyokeres: Chelsea plot bid for "one of the best STs in the world"")
Chelsea are targeting another player to improve the options within the final third.