‘Chelsea handed transfer get out after horror injury at Club World Cup’
Chelsea may be able to cash in on an expensive mistake this summer after a horror injury at the Club World Cup.
Jamal Musiala will miss the beginning of the season after suffering a horrific ankle injury for Bayern Munich against PSG in the quarter-final of FIFA’s controversial tournament.
The German international broke and dislocated his ankle [BBC Sport] in a collision with Gianluigi Donnarumma just moments before half-time.
Musiala’s injury is the latest offensive blow for Vincent Kompany. Mathys Tel, Gabriel Vidovic, Leroy Sane, and Thomas Muller have all departed Bayern Munich this summer, leaving the former Burnley boss short on attacking options.
Bayern Munich target Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku
According to The Times, Christopher Nkunku is once again a target for Bayern following Musiala’s injury.
The German side hold a long-standing interest in the French forward and the ex-PSG man’s struggles in England have seemingly done little to dissuade them.
Mick Brown told Football Insider in April that Nkunku will “definitely” be allowed to leave Chelsea this summer.
The 27-year-old has struggled to nail down a place in the West London side’s starting XI, in large part due to the form of Cole Palmer in the number 10 role.
However, with Musiala out and Muller having retired, that same role at the Allianz Arena is now open and having thrived in his previous Bundesliga stint, Nkunku and Bayern seem like a match made in heaven.
Chelsea given chance to drive up Nkunku price
Chelsea find themselves in a tricky position this summer after receiving a €31million (£26.7m) [The Athletic] fine from UEFA for breaking financial rules.
That fine, along with the fact that the Blues now need to sell players before being able to register incoming signings for the Champions League squad [The Times], means the Blues need to get rid of high earners who contribute little to Enzo Maresca’s team.
Along with Palmer, Joao Pedro has joined from Brighton, pushing Nkunku further down the pecking order, while Jamie Gittens’ arrival from Borussia Dortmund swells the attacking numbers even more.
However, despite Chelsea being keen to rid themselves of the expensive mistake that is the French midfielder, the Blues now find themselves in a stronger negotiating position.
After missing out on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool, the Bavarian giants are scrambling for an attacking midfielder.
In previous seasons, the German powerhouses may have been less pressured to find a replacement, but Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga triumph in the 2023/24 season has created a sense of unease for the once-unstoppable club.
Eberechi Eze is on Bayern’s shortlist, but the Englishman lacks the proven success in the Bundesliga that Nkunku has, as the Frenchman was named the league’s Player of the Season in the 2021/22 season, and is also in the sights of Arsenal and Tottenham.
Whilst UEFA’s fines may lead some to believe the English team will be pressured to sell, Chelsea have proven themselves to be magicians when it comes to avoiding sanctions.
Todd Boehly and co will be distinctly aware of Kompany’s need for a number 10 and with a lack of options at the position available on the market, it would be no surprise to see the Blues receive most, if not all of the original £52m outlay spent on Nkunku [BBC Sport].