Christopher Nkunku has been backed to thrive under Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, should both make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Is Nkunku joining Chelsea?
The Blues have a crucial summer ahead of them in the transfer window, following what has been one of the club's most disappointing seasons in recent memory. It looks increasingly likely that Pochettino will become the next permanent manager and the Argentine will need to be backed in the market.
Additions are required in various areas of the pitch, one of which is attack, where too many players have been ineffective this season, from Raheem Sterling to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Nkunku has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea, with the general assumption being that he will complete his switch from RB Leipzig at the end of the season.
The 25-year-old has scored 13 goals in 21 Bundesliga appearances this season, with 65 in 166 for Leipzig overall, and he has won eight caps for France.
Could Nkunku be Chelsea's Son?
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Dean Jones said that Nkunku could end up being Chelsea's version of Son Heung-min for Pochettino, with the South Korean such a key player during the Argentine's time as Tottenham boss:
"I think the Nkunku arrival is one you can go at with a completely fresh pair of eyes. At the moment, it's expected that Nkunku will come in as a wide player, but I've spoken to a couple of different people now who also wonder if he might end up being played as nine or a false nine.
"There are various types of positions that he can play, and Pochettino could consider for him. That would be one of interest to see if he can find someone that gives him that Son flexibility he had at Tottenham."
If Nkunku can have anything close to the impact that Son did for Pochettino, he could be an invaluable player for Chelsea, providing consistent end product, hard work and versatility. While there is no confirmation of both the 50-year-old's arrival as manager and the Leipzig man's signing yet, it would now be a surprise if both didn't happen this summer.
Nkunku would be coming in at a great time in his career, arriving in his mid-20s and with his peak years likely to be ahead of him, and he could be the central attacking player that the Blues have craved so badly this season, with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry a big admirer and Jesse Marsch saying he has "no weaknesses" during their time at Leipzig.
