Chelsea could soon be dealt a huge blow in their mission of signing RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku as Real Madrid enter the picture. The 24-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer but a move failed to materialise.
football.london understand that the Blues hold a long-term interest in Nkunku and they were considering whether to make an approach in the summer but they were put off by Leipzig's €100million (£87.6million) valuation. In June, the France international penned a two-year extension at the Red Bull Arena which cast doubt as to whether a move would be on the cards.
But, it's understood that a €60million (£52.6million) release clause - which becomes active in the summer - was inserted into his contract, meaning Nkunku could leave for considerably less than first thought. According to The Athletic last month, Todd Boehly has 'committed to pay' the fee in advance to avoid an inevitable transfer war.
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It's said that Nkunku signed a pre-contract agreement to join Chelsea in the summer after having already completed a medical. However, a report from Spain has claimed Real Madrid are now in contention.
According to Spanish outlet El Nacional, the Frenchman would consider ignoring interest from the Blues in order to secure a move to the Santiago Bernabeu. This report states that Nkunku is interested in playing with Vinicius Junior.
Despite the speculation regarding the Bundesliga star's future, Leipzig boss Marco Rose has dismissed reports suggesting that his player has already agreed to leave. He said: "We don’t comment on speculation, we don’t care about it."
Meanwhile, Leipzig teammate Dominik Szoboszlai doubled down. The Hungary international said: "I have the same answer as the coach. We don’t talk much about speculation. He knows that he is one of our players and that he has to do the best for us. We know that he does everything for the team will continue to do so."
Nkunku has featured 21 times for the German side this season, directly contributing towards 18 goals. His impressive displays have made him one of Europe's most in-form forwards.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have scored just four goals in their previous five Premier League fixtures with Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggling for form. If Boehly does sign Nkunku, he'll be hoping that the Frenchman can solve the Blues' goal drought.
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