Bayern Munich have rekindled their interest in Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku, who is likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, with Thomas Muller’s exit and Jamal Musiala’s long-term injury, the Bavarians are looking to recruit a top quality attacking midfielder.
Softfootball understands that the 27-year-old French international is unhappy with limited Premier League starts under Enzo Maresca, and has made himself available for the grabs after enduring a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge since his transfer from RB Leipzig in a deal worth €60 million.
Bayern were keen on signing Nkunku in January before walking away when faced with Chelsea’s £65 million ($88.5 million) price tag, but The Athletic state that interest has been reignited after what has been a bruising start to the summer transfer window for Vincent Kompany’s side.
Chelsea who signed Nkunku for €62 million from RB Leipzig in 2023, are holding out for €70 million, though Bayern aim to secure him for around €40 million.
After being plagued by injuries in his debut campaign, Nkunku struggled to nail down a starting role last season. He started in only nine out of 27 games in the Premier League but played a key role in the UEFA Conference League title victory, bagging five goals and three assists in the tournament.
Chelsea are open to selling the former Paris Saint-Germain star, who is understandably not in manager Enzo Maresca’s plans. Nkunku is likely to be pushed further down the pecking order with the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
Chelsea are demanding at least €35 million for Nkunku, whose departure could help trim their bloated squad. Manchester United and Liverpool are also monitoring Nkunku’s situation but haven’t initiated any concrete talks.
Bayern are willing to provide an escape route for Nkunku, who wants to reignite his career in a bid to secure a place in France’s squad for next year’s World Cup. The Bundesliga champions have been prioritising a new winger in this window, but so far their search has proved to be futile.
After missing out on Nico Williams, the Bayern are planning to splurge on Luis Diaz, but Liverpool have rebuffed their proposals.
In an earlier update, Softfootball reported that Bayern Munich suffered transfer blow as €40m bid for Woltemade was rejected by Stuttgart. Bayern Munich’s transfer window frustrations have deepened after VfB Stuttgart rejected a €40 million (£35m/$47m) bid for highly rated forward Nick Woltemade.
The offer, which included an additional €5 million in performance based add-ons, fell significantly short of Stuttgart’s €80 million (£69m/$94m) valuation of the 23-year-old. With Woltemade tied down to a long-term contract until 2028, Stuttgart remain in a strong negotiating position and are under no pressure to sell.
