Chelsea They have endured a difficult period in recent weeks, with Enzo Maresca Seeing his team falter after an impressive first few months of Premier League campaign.
The Blues were sitting in second place by one point, just two behind leaders Liverpool, but after a run of just one win in their last six league games, they have dropped to fifth, ten points behind Arne Slott's side, who have a game in hand. within reach.
However, the Italian and his players are still in a strong position to secure fourth place at the end of the season, but it is important to correct the decline in form as soon as possible to prevent losing further points.
The opening of the January transfer window provided the manager with another opportunity to either make new additions or offload players he no longer believed were useful to the first team.
Unsurprisingly, several names were mentioned during the move to Stamford Bridge, with another added to the mix during the final few weeks of the market.
Chelsea is in talks to sign its star striker
According to journalist Christian Falk. Chelsea held talks With Borussia Dortmund over a potential deal moving forward Karim Adeyemibefore a possible switch at the end of the season.
However, the Blues are not alone in their pursuit of the Italian side Napoli are also interested in the move The German, along with star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, is set to join Paris Saint-Germain in the coming days.
This is not the first time that Maresca's side have been interested in a move for the 22-year-old, with the summer window also seeing… Huge rumors about the deal For the young man.
However, he would be a fantastic addition for the Blues – even if they have to wait until the summer for him to arrive – adding further quality to the forward line, with his credit of… Eight combined goal contributions In just 11 games this season.
Such a move could mean the end for one player who has found it very difficult to get playing time since moving to west London two years ago.
Why would Adeyemi be an upgrade over Nkunku?
In recent days, it has been Chelsea Described as moving to Earth Bayern Munich youngster Matthijs Thiel was announced this month, but the deal has not been finalized yet.
The 19-year-old is a young talent who is sure to have a massive future in the game, but so far, he has been unable to make an immediate impact this season. Failure to score a single goal or assist During 2024/25.
Any move for the young French star would likely see a current member of the first team Christopher Nkunku Moving in the other direction to join the Bundesliga giants.
The 27-year-old joined the club in the A.J £52m deal from Leipzig in the summer of 2023, but missed the majority of his senior season with a knee injury, which limited him Only 14 matches In this process.
However, he participated in 28 matches, He scored 13 times throughout his second seasonbut was largely limited to minutes off the bench, starting only three times.
As a result, it would not be surprising to see him return to Germany this month, with Adeyemi potentially proving to be an upgrade for the Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate, should he make the move at some point in 2025.
|
How Adeyemi compares to Nkunku in 2024/25 so far |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Ademi |
Nkunku |
|
Games played |
8 |
18 |
|
Goals and assists |
5 |
3 |
|
Holds progressivism |
3.1 |
1.6 |
|
Heading into the final third |
2.6 |
0.7 |
|
Successful turnouts |
3.5 |
1.1 |
|
Success in decision making |
57% |
33% |
|
Accuracy of shooting on target |
46% |
40% |
|
Statistics via FBref |
||
Adeyemi who nicknamed him “Pure diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig has recorded more league contributions than Nkunku, while also representing A Higher shot on target rate – Demonstrating his clinical superiority in attacking areas.
The German is also versatile, and more than capable of showing off on either wing, as evidenced by his top tally Successful acquisitions And a better success rate overall.
It is unclear how much any potential deal for the Dortmund player would cost the club, but it is clear that he possesses plenty of qualities that would benefit Maresca's side moving forward.
As for Nkunku, it is unfortunate that he has not been able to cement his place in the starting lineup, with this move potentially being the right choice to allow him to develop – especially when they have an option like Adeyemi, who would be an even better player. Who is ready to leave.
