Chelsea sealed their swoop for France ahead Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig in a deal price a reported £63 million ($80 million) on Tuesday. Nkunku had already agreed a pre-contract with the Premier League membership in December and has now rubber-stamped his transfer to Stamford Bridge. The 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a profitable six-year contract with the Blues, who’re embarking on a close-season overhaul as they give the impression of being to bounce again from a dismal marketing campaign. “Chelsea is delighted to announce Christopher Nkunku will join the club from RB Leipzig ahead of the 2023/24 season,” a press release on the Blues’ web site mentioned.

Nkunku is likely one of the rising stars of European soccer and scored 23 objectives in 36 video games for Leipzig final season.

He is the primary main signing since Mauricio Pochettino was confirmed as Chelsea’s new supervisor on the finish of May.

“I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea. A big effort was made to bring me to the club,” Nkunku mentioned.

“I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and team-mates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch.”

Nkunku, a graduate of the famed French nationwide soccer academy at Clairefontaine, spent 4 years at Paris Saint-Germain earlier than shifting to Leipzig in 2019.

He made his title with the German membership and was voted Bundesliga participant of the season in 2021-22 after scoring 20 objectives and offering 15 assists within the league.

The versatile ahead bagged an extra 23 objectives this season to assist Leipzig safe a third-place end within the Bundesliga and scored of their German Cup closing win towards Eintracht Frankfurt.

Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting administrators, mentioned: “Christopher has proved himself one of the standout attacking players in European football over the past two seasons and will add quality, creativity and versatility to our squad.”

Nkunku earned his France debut final 12 months and has been capped 10 instances.

He was dominated out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a leg harm.

“Having played in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I now want to play in the Premier League, one of the strongest leagues in the world,” Nkunku mentioned.

“I am very excited for this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt.”

Bidding farewell to Leipzig, Nkunku wrote a heartfelt message on the membership’s web site:

“Now it’s time for me to say ‘Au Revoir’ Leipzig. I am incredibly grateful to RB Leipzig and everyone at the club – my team, the coaching staff, the staff and most importantly the fans. I had four years in Leipzig which I will never forget,” he mentioned.

“I represented my country while at RB Leipzig, I have developed extremely well from a sporting and personal perspective and we have now been able to crown this time with two German cup wins.

“RB Leipzig will at all times have a everlasting place in my coronary heart. I hope there might be an opportunity sooner or later to come back again to Leipzig as a visitor and play in entrance of the good followers once more.”

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