Chelsea are eyeing Havertz to reprise their £52m star

ChelseaThe start of the 2024/25 season has not been great with a new coach Enzo Maresca Life at Stamford Bridge is like a duck to water.

The Italian has already guided the Blues to second place in the English Premier League, while maintaining a 100% record in the European Conference League, pushing the Blues to the top of the table.

He transformed the team in a short period of time and presented a beautiful attacking style Watch the club score 37 times – The second best record in the division behind London rival Tottenham Hotspur.

Cole Palmer continued his excellent form in the new season, Recording 17 contributions to goals In the league, and they have played a big role in their recent success in the final third.

However, the same cannot be said for one player who could be on the verge of leaving the west London side after his lack of first-team involvement over the past few months.

Chelsea could be on the verge of offloading their £52m star

According to reports from Spain, the Chelsea striker Christopher Nkunku He has I offered him the opportunity To join the Spanish team Barcelona in January by his agent Pini Zahavi.

French He joined the Blues for £52m In the summer of 2023, but missed most of his debut season in England due to a knee injury.

However, it is He participated in 16 league matches So far, but only two of them have come from a starting role, with the rest coming off the bench.

Nkunku is still registered 12 goals in all competitionswith seven coming in the Conference League – helping Maresca's side top the table after the first six matches.

Frustrating, the report claims With little playing timeis likely to want to move away in January, whether it is on a temporary or permanent basis with Barcelona only one option on the table.

However, Maresca must find a way to incorporate the former RB Leipzig man into his plans to avoid a repeat of one player who has flourished since his move away from the club.

Why could Nkunku be a repeat of Havertz for Chelsea?

Kai Havertz He arrived with huge potential after moving to Chelsea again in the summer of 2020. At a huge cost of 72 million pounds sterling From German club Bayer Leverkusen.

The 25-year-old, who has often featured as an attacking midfielder or striker, He scored only 32 goals during his three years With the Blues, but what is most important to him is winning the Champions League Cup in his first season against Manchester City.

Many supporters were disappointed by his lack of impact, which led to a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal in the summer of 2023, a move that would change his career.

German international Scoring 14 goals in all competitions Last season, he played a huge role in Mikel Arteta's title win, having already scored 11 goals this season, as the Gunners once again look to end their long drought without winning the league.

He would undoubtedly have been a huge asset under current coach Mariska had they kept the striker, as Nkunku was very similar to the former first-team star in many aspects.

They both like to operate behind the striker, but are more than capable of playing as lone strikers, leading the line and producing the goods as evidenced by their respective credits.

Neither has lived up to the hype given their huge transfer fees, but they have consistently scored goals in crucial moments, with Nkunku in particular this season – scoring the second most goals in the Blues' squad behind Palmer.

The Frenchman has clearly shown that he can provide the required quality when given the opportunity, and would likely make any sale he might regret, which could see a repeat of the Havertz deal.

Maresca has countless options at his disposal in the final third, but it's ironic that Nkunku hasn't had more of them given his recent goalscoring exploits.

His frustration is understandable given his lack of Premier League play, but the club need to find a suitable plan to keep him in the bridge to prevent losing a quality striker in the process.