‘Annoying’ – Pundit urges Chelsea to replace ‘unlucky’ forward with on-fire Premier League striker

Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku was heavily linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge in January, and a former Blue has identified a player who could replace him in the summer.

Much was expected of Nkunku after he joined Chelsea from Rb Leipzig in 2023 but he hasn’t made a big impact with the London side so far.

Enzo Maresca has often picked Nicolas Jackson ahead of Nkunku in his starting XIs this season. Jackson is now sidelined with an injury, so this could be his opportunity.

Nkunku put in a very disappointing performance in Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Brighton in the FA Cup, however, bringing into question whether he’s the right fit for the Blues.

Former Chelsea striker Loic Remy has now had his say, and reckons Nkunku would be better off leaving Stamford Bridge.

“Christopher Nkunku’s move to Chelsea hasn’t gone to plan, he had a serious injury and hasn’t been a regular starter. There was also massive expectation there,” Remy told Plejmo.com.

“There was huge expectation thanks to his form in Germany and he’s been unlucky, it looked like he could’ve left in the transfer window and then he didn’t look himself in the FA Cup exit.

“I think it would be best for him to get a fresh start in the summer, whether that is a loan or a permanent move. Sometimes things don’t work out and it’s wrong to try and force it. I think he can bounce back elsewhere.”

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Chelsea urged to target ‘annoying’ Prem striker

As we have consistently reported, Chelsea are expected to be in the market for a new striker in the summer and their top target at this stage is Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.

Remy, meanwhile, believes that Victor Osimhen, who is currently on loan with Galatasaray from Napoli, would be a ‘perfect’ signing for Chelsea.

But perhaps more interestingly, Remy thinks that in-form Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has the ‘profile’ to make a big difference to the Blues.

“Jean-Philippe Mateta has the profile to thrive at Chelsea. I saw him playing in the Olympics for the French national side and he impressed me a lot,” Remy added.

“He isn’t the type of player to really impress you technically but he is always there and loves scoring goals. He is so annoying to play against as a defender.

“He has the right profile and is on fire at the moment, I think many clubs are looking for a striker and I think we could see a big transfer for him in the summer.”

TEAMtalk transfer insider Rudy Galetti revealed earlier this week that Atletico Madrid are considering a move for Palace striker Mateta, so it’ll be interesting to see if any Premier League clubs join the race.

The 27-year-old has scored an impressive 10 Premier League goals in 24 appearances for the Eagles this term.

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