Bundesliga: Christopher Nkunko’s Chelsea change becomes more realistic

According to a report by “The Athletic”, Christopher Nkunko is on the cusp of a move from RB Leipzig to Chelsea. Germany’s Player of the Year is said to have signed a preliminary contract with the London side.

In return, the Premier League club is said to have committed to paying RB Leipziger a transfer fee higher than the €60m release clause for the 24-year-old Frenchman. RB chairman Oliver Mintzlaff, who has been in excellent contact with Stamford Bridge since Timo Werner’s move to Chelsea and back and who himself has been in talks as chief executive at Chelsea, prematurely extended the contract with the striker at Leipzig only until 2026 in June. According to media reports, there should be an exit clause for next summer.

With the clause only coming into effect at the end of this season, according to The Athletic, Chelsea are now spending a larger sum “to secure Nkunko up front and avoid a potentially intense battle for his services,” the report said. The medical examination is said to have already taken place in August. Leipzig does not want to comment on the speculation. Nkunko, who moved from Paris Saint-Germain to RB Leipzig in 2019 for 13 million euros, earned 55 points in 51 appearances for the Spanish full-back the previous season.