Chelsea supporters will love what Christopher Nkunku had to say about Didier Drogba and Eden Hazard on his first day at Cobham training ground. The 25-year-old forward was finally unveiled as a Blues player earlier this week, penning a deal which keeps him at Stamford Bridge until 2029.
football.london understands that Chelsea scouts were monitoring Nkunku during his time at RB Leipzig, and they were thoroughly impressed. Despite having missed two months of the season, the France international still managed to get his hands on the Bundesliga golden boot, along with Niclas Fullkrug, scoring 16 goals.
Following confirmation of his move to west London, Nkunku claimed that he's 'very excited' to challenge himself in the Premier League. Speaking to the official Chelsea website, the Frenchman said: "I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea.
"A big effort was made to bring me to the club and I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and teammates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch. Having played in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I now want to play in the Premier League, one of the strongest leagues in the world.
"I am very excited for this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt," added Nkunku, who later expressed his delight at the prospect of working with Mauricio Pochettino. "I have not had a chance to speak to him, not yet.
"I spoke to some of my friends from Paris about him a little bit. I speak about him a little bit with some of the players. They told me that he’s a very good coach and I’m excited to work with him."
Despite speaking very highly of the club, Chelsea supporters may be more excited to hear what he had to say about Drogba and Hazard. In a video documenting his first day at Cobham, Nkunku was asked a number of questions – two of which being his first memory of the west London outfit and his favourite player.
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When asked the former, he replied: "When they won the Champions League with Drogba. Drogba took the cup, he go like this [gestures lifting the trophy]. Yeah."
Then, Nkunku added: "I like Eden Hazard for sure. I think for me, he's a legend of Chelsea."
While Drogba and Hazard may no longer player for Chelsea, they remain two players who are etched into the club's history and are often looked up to. The Blues have struggled to truly replace the duo since they departed, so supporters will be hoping that Nkunku can fill their shoes – though big ones at that!
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