Enzo Maresca hinted that Christopher Nkunku could stay at Chelsea this summer despite widespread reports that he is looking to leave the club.
The Frenchman joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in 2023 for a reported fee of £52million, and has struggled to live up to the price tag.
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He struggled for form throughout last season, managing 14 goals and five assists in 43 appearances as he played most of his minutes in the Conference League.
Of his 27 Premier League appearances in the 2024-25 campaign, only nine were starts. Of those nine, he completed 90 minutes just twice.
It has been widely reported that he is willing to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, with fresh reports emerging on Monday that Manchester United could offer Alejandro Garnacho in a straight swap deal for Nkunku.
Despite the reports, Maresca insisted that Nkunku is fully committed to the club, hinting he could appear in Chelsea’s final Club World Cup group stage game against ES Tunis.
"Christo is with us,” the Italian declared. “He's our player.
“He's doing very well in the last four, five days.
“For sure, tomorrow we are going to do rotation. We'll see if there is any chance for the ones that are not playing a lot."
Maresca had criticised Nkunku’s performances earlier in the season, dropping him for a visit to West London rivals Fulham and publicly confirming that the decision was technical.
Asked whether an injury had prompted the player’s absence in the derby, Maresca said: “No, it’s just a technical decision.”
