Chelsea have agreed not to announce the signing of Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig until after the international break in a bid to let the Frenchman make the most of his time with Les Bleus.
The west London club reached an agreement with RB Leipzig to bring Nkunku to Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, in a move that is thought to be worth in excess of £65m. The Frenchman even underwent a medical with The Blues last September, and his proposed transfer is one of the worst kept secrets in the transfer world.
Despite injury ruling him out of part of the season including the Qatar World Cup, Nkunku has still enjoyed another excellent season in the Bundesliga, grabbing 16 goals and 6 assists in just 25 outings, while he is also a regular in the France squad.
His impending arrival at Chelsea, which will coincide with that of new manager Mauricio Pochettino, is thought to be a major factor in why the Blues opted not to pursue a permanent deal for Joao Felix, with both players tending to occupy the same spaces on the pitch.
But when will the Blues announce the 25-year-old? Well, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the contract was signed all the way back in December, but the announcement will come after the final France game, which takes place on June 19th against Greece and for which Nkunku has been called up by Didier Deschamps.
It is likely to kickstart yet another busy transfer window for Chelsea, who are also keen on another goalkeeper, a striker and at least one midfielder before September’s deadline.
