When Chelsea wrapped up a £52 million deal for Christopher Nkunku in the summer of 2023, the general consensus was that they were crying out for a proven goalscorer to lead the line.
Fast forward to the present and similar emotions continue to linger at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca has helped to deliver an upturn in fortune for the Blues, but talk of a Premier League title challenge is being played down.
For now, a return to the top four after two humbling campaigns outside of that prestigious pack is the priority for all concerned in West London.
Standards
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 14, 2023
Chelsea have spent too long, by their own high standards, losing favour within football bets that still see them sitting at 6/1 to secure domestic dominance for the first time since 2017.
They are on the right path, but inconsistency that has proved difficult to shake means that football tips often side with others when it comes to trophy chases that prefer pedigree over potential. Maresca does, however, have enough talent at his disposal to suggest that major silverware will soon fall within reach.
Questions will continue to be asked of whether the Blues have enough at the business end of the pitch to compete for the grandest of prizes, but elaborate investments of faith and funds have been made in that department.
The feeling is that Nkunku is a touch unfortunate to find himself playing a bit-part role. Untimely injuries have done his cause in English football few favours, with teammates allowed to stake serious claims for positions that should have been his by right. The Frenchman arrived having shown at RB Leipzig that he can be a prolific source of end product in the final third, but opportunities to replicate that success at Chelsea are proving hard to come by.
That is partially due to the depth of the Blues’ talent pool, with Maresca saying of the selection headaches that he faces: “This is a nice problem when you have two strikers that continue to score. It’s nice you can decide which one and because they are in a good moment we can use them.” He has also suggested that Nkunku is yet to settle on a position that he considers to be his best, with there being arguments for and against him filling No.9 and No.10 berths.
When on the field, though, he has been showing what he is capable of.
Formula
🔵 Nkunku getting the party started 🎈#UECL | @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/d1m7ucRDyB
— UEFA Conference League (@europacnfleague) October 24, 2024
There may not have been as many Premier League starts as he was hoping for, but knockout competitions have provided a stage on which to showcase undoubted ability.
The goals have flowed for Nkunku, highlighting that he still knows his way to the back of the net, and a leading role may yet be his for the taking.
It is easy to see why Maresca is reluctant to tinker with a winning formula, but his pack will be shuffled at times.
Nkunku is waiting in the wings ready to take his chance, with the France international far too good to be stuck with a ‘cup specialist’ tag that delivers more midweek action than it does spectacular Saturdays or super Sundays.
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