Tuesday marked the conclusion of Chelsea’s £63 million ($80 million) acquisition of France international forward Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig.
In December, Nkunku signed a pre-contract with the Premier League club, and he has now finalized his transfer to Stamford Bridge.
The 25-year-old has signed a lucrative six-year contract with the Blues, who are undergoing an offseason overhaul in an effort to rebound from a disappointing season.
Christopher Nkunku will join Chelsea from RB Leipzig prior to the 2023/24 season, according to a statement on the Blues’ official website.
Last season, Nkunku was one of the emerging talents of European football, scoring 23 goals in 36 appearances for Leipzig.
He is Chelsea’s first significant acquisition since the end of May, when Mauricio Pochettino was named the club’s new manager.
“I am extremely excited to join Chelsea. Nkunku stated that great efforts were made to introduce him to the club.
“I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and teammates and demonstrating my abilities to the Chelsea fans on the field.”
Nkunku, a graduate of the renowned French national football academy at Clairefontaine, spent four years with Paris Saint-Germain prior to his 2019 transfer to Leipzig.
In 2021-22, after netting 20 goals and providing 15 assists in the Bundesliga, he was voted the league’s best player.
The versatile forward scored an additional 23 goals this season to help Leipzig finish third in the Bundesliga.
Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, stated, “Christopher has established himself as one of the premier attacking players in European football over the past two seasons and will add quality, creativity, and versatility to our squad.”
Nkunku debuted for France in 2017 and has been capped ten times.
A leg injury ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“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,” said Nkunku.
“I am very excited for this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt.”