Chelsea are on the verge of agreeing a deal for Christopher Nkunku of RB Leipzig.
That's according to reports stating that the French attacking is set to link up with the Blues next summer. Nkunku would become the first signing of the Graham Potter era.
Nkunku only signed a new contract with the controversial east German outfit in the summer, following interest from Manchester United.
According to German outlet BILD, the Blues are closing in on a deal thought to be worth around £53 million. The two clubs have already worked with one another this summer, with Stamford Bridge flop Timo Werner returning to the club that the west Londoners bought him from on a cut-price deal.
Renowned transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the Frenchman's release clause is set at €60m. Nkunku is thought to have already had a medical in Frankfurt ahead of the move.
Nkunku will likely join the club in 2023, despite the opportunity for him to move in January.
This would not be the first time that a Premier League club has signed a Leipzig player for the following season – in 2017, Liverpool signed Naby Keita, with the Guinean remaining in the Bundesliga for another season.
With Chelsea having let Werner leave and coming close to selling Hakim Ziyech, it seems like there could be more outgoings under Potter in the coming transfer windows. Christian Pulisic has been linked with a move away from the club, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is currently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, though there was strong interest in him from the likes of Newcastle United and Arsenal.
Nkunku is valued at around £72m by Transfermarkt.
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Richarlison has revealed that he chose Tottenham over Chelsea in the summer, thanks to an intervention by former Blues boss Antonio Conte.
The club are also keen to bolster their midfield in the winter window, with Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz having emerged as a target.
Elsewhere, Chelsea's search for a new sporting director continues after Christoph Freund opted to stay at Red Bull Salzburg.
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