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Christopher Nkunku Transfer Reveals As Chelsea Exit Plan Emerges 

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Christopher Nkunku Transfer Reveals As Chelsea Exit Plan Emerges 

Christopher Nkunku is not planning to leave Chelsea in January – but he could change his stance if his game time doesn’t improve. The 26-year-old has started just one Premier League game this season – the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on the opening weekend – and was an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw at Manchester United last time out.

He has been a regular starter in the Europa Conference League and Carabao Cup, but his playing time has been limited in the top flight. In fact, Nkunku has featured for just 153 minutes in the league, scoring once which came in the 1-0 win over Bournemouth in September.

This has since increased speculation over his future, with Nkunku, who joined the Blues from RB Leipzig for £52million in July 2023, linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.

But according to Sky Sports Germany, Nkunku doesn’t want to depart Chelsea in January and instead is movitated on regaining his place back in the Premier League starting XI. However, it’s added that the Frenchman’s situation is ‘challenging’ and a departure in the summer could become a possibility if his situation doesn’t improve.

Despite his lack of Premier League game time, Nkunku is Chelsea’s top scorer across all competitions this season with 10 goals in 16 matches. He found the net twice in the 8-0 drubbing of Noah on Thursday and has now scored six times in the Conference League.

Speaking on Nkunku’s struggles for minutes in the top flight, Maresca said earlier this week: “Christo, every time he plays, he scores, and he does well. Also, he was probably our best player in pre-season, no doubt.

“He was playing then as an attacking midfielder and now we are using him as a nine, which we all know isn’t his position, he’s more a second striker or between the lines.

“But I try to find solution and balance with all of them but not all of them can be in their position, they have to adapt a bit. It’s for Joao, Christo, Misha [Mudryk, who Maresca was also asked about], they are all players who deserve more chances in the Premier League, but there are also more players who deserve that.”

Chelsea are back in action when they host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. It’s the final game before the November international break, with the Blues looking to guarantee a spot in the top four ahead of the two-week break. Maresca’s side then return with a trip to Leicester.

 

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Transfers

Inter Milan Want To Sign Oleksandr Zinchenko From Arsenal

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Inter Milan Want To Sign Oleksandr Zinchenko From Arsenal

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan are keen on acquiring the services of Arsenal utility man Oleksandr Zinchenko.

According to a report from Fichajes, Oleksandr Zinchenko could part ways with Arsenal next summer after going down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta. The lack of minutes along with his contract situation has resulted in a significant amount of interest from Inter Milan.

After making a name for himself while playing for Manchester City, Zinchenko made the move to Arsenal in the summer of 2022. Arteta played a massive role in his move to the North London club and he was one of the first names on their first team in the initial years.

But, a lot has changed of late. While the Ukrainian international can feature in the centre of the park as well as the midfield, he no longer seems to be an important part of the Spanish manager’s plans. The Gunners were reportedly ready to sell him during the summer.

While he is still a part of their setup, his game time has taken a significant hit. In the ongoing campaign, he has been involved in just five matches and has racked up less than 200 minutes of first-team action.

The 27-year-old full-back is frustrated by the lack of minutes and he is considering his future at the club. With his contract running out in the summer of 2026, Inter Milan are looking to make the most out of the situation and strike a deal for a cut-price fee.

Inter could raid Arsenal for Zinchenko
The Italian giants want to add more quality to their squad. They want to bring in an experienced campaigner who can contribute in multiple positions and Zinchenko seems to be an ideal fit for their project.

He will only have a year left on his deal next summer and since he has gone down the pecking order under Arteta, Inter have a realistic chance of signing him.

While the Ukrainian international would love to continue in the Premier League, he could consider being an important part of an exciting project at Inter. A move away will give him an opportunity to get things back on track in his career.

Inter are plotting to make a move next summer and it will be interesting to see whether the negotiations move forward over the next months.

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Napoli Take Side On Manchester United’s Link With Osimhen

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Napoli Take Side On Manchester United’s Link With Osimhen

Italian Serie A side, Napoli, have debunked rumours about agreeing a deal with Manchester United for a player plus cash offer for Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 25-year-old joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli in September, and has been in fine form for Okan Buruk’s side, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in nine games in all competitions.

As per Cult of Calcio, there’s some element of truth to the rumours about Manchester United offering a trade between Victor Osimhen and Joshua Zirkzee, but Napoli aren’t open to the idea.

The Italian side want cash payment upfront for the Nigerian striker from any team that are interested in his services, and will hold out for that, even if they have to wait until next summer.Nigerian football souvenirs

Despite Osimhen and Galatasaray ruling out the possibility of a January departure, Napoli made it clear that it’ll depend on the offers they receive. The suitors will have to reach an agreement with the Turkish outfit too. Another transfer will be possible if a team activates the striker’s reduced release clause of €75m.

Manchester United’s swap deal will see Napoli get €30m plus Zirkzee which would see them fall short of about €45m than their initial target. Additionally, Antonio Conte’s side are not looking for another striker at the moment and are very content with the services of Romelu Lukaku.

Rather than tweaking the frontline, Antonio Conte has asked for some reinforcements in the defence, and Napoli would need to make sales for that, ruling out Manchester United’s swap deal option.

Chelsea are still interested in Osimhen, but any talks will have to be continued after the season ends in May.

 

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Ruben Amorim Wants Man Utd To Sign Alphonso Davies

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Ruben Amorim Wants Man Utd To Sign Alphonso Davies

According to journalist Christopher Michel, Manchester United are still interested in signing Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies on a free transfer next summer, as reported by Football Talk.

The Red Devils currently have Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia as their specialist left-back options, but both have been injury-prone for some time. Hence, Man Utd may want a more reliable figure going forward and Michel claims that Davies is the dream option for manager Ruben Amorim.

Davies has predominantly played as a left-back for Bayern, but he is considered by United as a solution for the left wing-back position in a 3-4-3 set-up. Davies’ deal at Bayern expires at the end of June 2025 and he is free to negotiate a pre-contract with a foreign club at the turn of the year.

Quality
Luke Shaw has been United’s main outlet from the left-back position, but he has suffered plenty of injuries in his career. He has struggled to handle a heavy workload over multiple months and United need a more reliable option going forward.

Malacia was considered as a proper back-up when he first arrived at the club, but there are concerns over him too. The Dutchman has returned to training lately, but he has not played a competitive game of any form since the summer of 2023.

There is a possibility that one of the duo could be offloaded next summer. Davies would be a superb replacement as he has the attributes to suit Amorim’s tactics. Davies has played as a regular winger when on international duty with Canada.

The £42 million-rated star assumes a defensive role with Bayern. His defensive and attacking attributes make him an ideal fit for the left wing-back role.

In the current season, Davies has three assists for Bayern. He has also been brilliant defensively with 5.4 duels and 1.7 tackles won per appearance with 6.4 recoveries. He has averaged almost 2 take-ons per Bundesliga outing under manager Vincent Kompany.

Davies, who has been described as ‘world-class‘ by Bundesliga.com, would be a fabulous signing on a free transfer for United. The big question mark is whether they can persuade him to join them amid their lack of progress in the Premier League.

 

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