Christopher Nkunku ‘open’ to potential RB Leipzig return

The big transfer story yesterday was about Chelsea and RB Leipzig engaging in talks over a potential swap deal involving Xavi Simons and Christopher Nkunku. Both teams were keen on the arrangement, the story went, with Simons also ready to do his part. The only unknown was Nkunku’s level of interest in returning to his former team.

Well, according to The Athletic this morning, the 27-year-old “would” indeed be “open” to this reunion, should these talks materialize into something more concrete.

The devil, of course, is in the details, namely the financial ones. While the gap in valuation between Nkunku and Simons should be able to be covered by about £20m in extra cash from the Blues, Nkunku’s contract could be prove difficult. He was signed in the early days of BlueCo, before the current salary structures and transfer strategies were put in place, and has a (presumably lucrative) contract guaranteed through 2029. Meanwhile, Leipzig, already in a lower wage bracket, are looking to cut costs after missing out on Champions League football.

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