Maresca gives verdict on Christopher Nkunku’s potential January exit

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has come out to reassure reportedly disillusioned Blues forward Christopher Nkunku that he remains part of the club’s plans at Stamford Bridge, despite speculation about a potential January exit, soccernet.football reports.

Nkunku, despite arriving at West London following a highly anticipated switch from RB Leipzig last season, has struggled to break into Maresca’s starting XI this term. The Frenchman has been functioning primarily as a backup to Nicolas Jackson and has seen most of his game time in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Reports suggest that Nkunku feels increasingly frustrated with his limited role at Chelsea and may consider leaving, with Spanish giants Barcelona reportedly interested in pursuing a move for the French international.

Giving his thoughts on the situation, Maresca emphasized his desire to keep Nkunku within the Blues’ ranks but the Italian also stressed that he would not obstruct any player who chooses to seek opportunities elsewhere.

“We like Christo and we want him here and there will always be players that are not happy,” Maresca told Mail Sport. “I am not sure if that will be Christo’s case, We want to keep him here because we are happy with him.

“We aren’t thinking about players who want to leave. We are not thinking that this or that player has to leave, We are just thinking about how to win games. If they knock on the door and they want to leave, I’m not going to say: ‘No, no, you have to stay here, 100%’.

“If they want to leave, the best thing for everyone is that the players who aren’t happy are going to leave.”

With Chelsea having an enviably large squad, it stands to reason that certain players will be relegated to fringe roles throughout the course of the season. Unfortunately for Nkunku, he has found himself in this situation despite his immensely obvious talents as a player.

Given how well the Blues are currently faring with their existing setup, it looks highly unlikely that Nkunku’s fortunes at Stamford Bridge will improve anytime soon. Will he push for a move? Will he stay and fight for his place? It will be interesting to watch how the Frenchman’s situation will unravel when the January transfer window opens.