Christopher Nkunku is reportedly unhappy with the little playing time he is receiving at Chelsea and is considering his future.
The Frenchman started just once in the Premier League this season – Chelsea’s first game against Manchester City – and was substituted in the 58th minute.
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Despite his limited time on the pitch, he is the club’s top scorer this season, having scored ten goals – including the winner against Bournemouth after being on the pitch for just seven minutes.
However, reports from L’Equipe this week suggest that the 27-year-old is considering his future at Stamford Bridge.
Now a source close to the player has suggested to The Athletic that the striker is not too happy with his current situation.
The source also said that Nkunku himself has not lodged any complaints with the club and is not trying to stir up trouble with head coach Enzo Maresca.
The 27-year-old played an important role in pre-season while Cole Palmer took an extended break after Euro 2024 and Nicolas Jackson recovered from injury.
He has played predominantly in the Conference League and Carabao Cup, amassing a total of 688 minutes across all competitions.
He also scored a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup third round against Barrow.
Palmer is the club’s second-leading scorer with seven goals, followed by Jackson with six.
Before joining the club, the former RB Leipzig star had a successful career in Germany, scoring 35 goals and 20 assists in the 2021/22 season, followed by 32 goal involvements the next season.
Chelsea needed a talisman after their 12th place finish in the league in 2022/23 and snapped him up for £52m.
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However, a serious knee injury in pre-season against Borussia Dortmund prevented him from missing much of the season.
Nkunku’s preferred position is as a second striker or not. 10, but Palmer secures this spot.
Speaking about the striker before the 8-0 win over Noah in the Conference League, Maresca said: “Christo, every time he plays he scores and he does it well.
“He was also undoubtedly our best player in pre-season.
“He played as an attacking midfielder back then and now we are using him as a number nine, which as we all know is not his position, he is more of a second striker or between the lines.”
“But I try to find a solution and a balance with everyone, but not everyone can be in their position, they have to adapt a little.
“It’s for Joao [Felix]Christo [Nkunku]Misha [Mudryk]. They are all players who deserve more opportunities in the Premier League, but there are also more players who deserve it.”