How Chelsea could line up with Christopher Nkunku
Here's how Chelsea are likely to line up following confirmation that Christopher Nkunku has joned the club from RB Leipzig.
By Tom Gott
Christopher Nkunku has been officially confirmed as the first transfer of Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea tenure.
Yet, the fleet-footed Frenchman has been strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge since the opening weeks of Graham Potter's reign on the King's Road. After agreeing to a deal the best part of a year ago, the final details have been applied to the £53m transfer.
Nkunku has been one of the most in-demand forwards over the past two seasons. Since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, the 25-year-old has scored 36 Bundesliga goals for RB Leipzig - more than any other player in Germany's top flight over the same period of time.
Chelsea are not short on forwards, however - particularly those who you would not classify as an out-and-out striker - so just how he would fit into Pochettino's plans is up in the air.
Here's a few options Pochettino may mull over.
In a strike partnership
Two-striker systems are a rarity in modern elite European football but they are not entirely extinct. Internazionale reached the 2023 Champions League final with a pair of recognised centre-forwards and pushed treble-winners Manchester City all the way in Istanbul.
In this setup, Nkunku would take the secondary striker role alongside a more orthodox number nine. The former PSG academy product is seen as more of a shadow striker and likes to drift around in search of the best position to impact the game.
Either side of the pairing would be advanced midfielders who would be tasked with flitting around and swapping places with Nkunku - a position in which Chelsea are very well-stocked.
Potential lineups
Kai Havertz (RW) - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) - Christopher Nkunku (ST) - Raheem Sterling (LW)
Christian Pulisic (RW) - Kai Havertz (ST) - Christopher Nkunku (ST) - Raheem Sterling (LW)
Kai Havertz (RW) - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) - Christopher Nkunku (ST) - Mason Mount (LW)
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One of two 10s behind a ST
Nkunku plays more like an attacking midfielder anyway, and with Pochettino known to use a 3-4-2-1 setup during his time at Paris Saint-Germain, he could deploy the Frenchman in that role to start with.
Happy on either side of the pitch, Nkunku could fill in wherever Pochettino needed him in this attacking setup and there are no shortage of players who could go alongside him.
Potential lineups
Christopher Nkunku (AM) - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) - Raheem Sterling (AM)
Christopher Nkunku (AM) - Kai Havertz (ST) - Mason Mount (AM)
Kai Havertz (AM) - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) - Christopher Nkunku (AM)
As a lone ST
Over the past few years, Chelsea's starting striker has been one of these half-striker characters. Kai Havertz has had the honour more often than not, but Nkunku could now be deployed as an alternative.
It's not a role he has played too often in the past, but Nkunku has proven capable of playing on his own up top when the time comes.
Potential lineups
Kai Havertz (AM) - Christopher Nkunku (ST) - Raheem Sterling (AM)
Mason Mount (AM) - Christopher Nkunku (ST) - Raheem Sterling (AM)
On this edition of Son of Chelsea, part of the 90min podcast network, Daniel reacts to the news that the Blues are close to signing Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson for £30m! If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!