High intensive pressing, Quick transitions and a reach brand of attacking football that inevitably results in chucks of goals.
Lot and lots of them…
These are a few of the benchmarks the new boss on the bridge of London is known for. Mauricio Pochettino is a manager who brings all of these characteristics to any side he manages with testaments to this being his tenure at Southampton, Paris-Saint Germain and his brilliant spell at Tottenham Hotspur which lasted from 2014 to 2019. He is a great admirer of players who are able to actualize and carry out what his rigorous coaching curtails on to the pitch.
Talk about following every instruction to the word…
The new Chelsea boss would be excited about the prospect that comes with the arrival of his team’s first signing in Christopher Nkunku who could be his ideal player.
The balloons are out by the way…
For a team like Chelsea who were not firing in all cylinders last season they would be grateful to have a player like Nkunku join their ranks. Chelsea managed to score only 38 goals in 38 Premier League matches, registering a big-chance conversion rate of 26.76 per cent, the lowest in the division. It is no doubt that last season was one to forget for the fans as they didn’t make it in the top half of the table and wouldn’t be playing in the Europe this coming season.
But if you are talking about reviving your team’s attack and getting them firing again then signing a maverick like Nkunku is the way to do it. I’m sure the question on your mind now would probably be..
WHAT WOULD NKUNKU OFFER CHELSEA IN ATTACK?
Well I’m actually glad you ask…
Nkunku was no doubt one of the hottest players in Bundesliga over his last two years playing in the Red Bull Arena in the colors of his former club, RB Leipzig. A testament to that would be the Frenchman’s 53 direct goal contributions (36 goals, 17 asssits) across his final two Bundesliga seasons in Leipzig, finding the back of the net at an average of every 128.7 minutes during that period of time.
Impressive? You bet it is…
Nkunku would surely offer a Chelsea side who lacked ideas in front of goal more treat going forward as he is a player who possesses and array of qualities that includes: an immaculate close control with the ball, frightening pace and that clinical edge infront of goal. Which is why I stated earlier that he could very much be an ideal player for the new boss, Mauricio Pochettino.
Like a certain Heung-Min Son?…
Added to the fact that Nkunku is cold blooded in front of goal, the Frenchman is also one who has an eye for a killer pass and can turn goalscorer to provider in a heartbeat because of the way he can unlock teams defensives due to his creativity and vision. Nkunku thrives off the little pockets of space and when he is there he usually knows what to do with it.
Nkunku is also a versatile player who can operate in multiple positions across the attacking midfield and wide areas. He can play as a central attacking midfielder, on the wings, or even as a second striker. His adaptability allows him to provide different tactical options for his team and for a manager who is known for tactical tweaks mid game to pounce upon frailties of the opposing team, Nkunku would be a key part of the Argentine’s plans for sure and it would be interesting to see where he plays the Frenchman in the attack. Nkunku’s best position could be the number 10 position because of his ability to dribble his was into the box or making one of those darting runs to get in position and score goals easily.
He is quite a handful, more to the fact that he can finish equally with both feet and can in fact shoot from long range if the situation allows him to. He scores all types of goals and has also seemed to have added the quality of producing goals in a dead ball situation having scored twice from a free kick and five times from the spot last season. Nkunku is also the joint top scorer of last season in the Bundesliga which is impressive in a way because he played lesser games (due to injuries) than Niclas Füllkrug of Wolfsburg who won the award as well.
Quite a handful I must say…
One other thing fans would love about Nkunku is the fact that he is an attacking player who is ready to put in a shift for the team in defence. He is an energetic player who is willing and not shy to do the dirty work off the ball. He tracks back defensively, presses opponents, and contributes to the team’s overall defensive efforts. His work rate and stamina make him a real asset in both attacking and defensive phases of the game.
Pochettino would be licking his chops with the prospect of having a playing like Nkunku in his side this season at the club. Nkunku’s arrival, coupled with Pochettino’s attacking mantra, should make Chelsea become far more exciting and penetrative this season especially when you add players like Enzo Fernandez into the mix who can also supply the forward line with neat passes from deep.
It’s serving up to be one good recipe for this Chelsea feast.
Chelsea fans would probably be in for a treat if Nkunku is quick to adapt to the system and stay fit for the better part of the season. He is one to certainly get the fans up on their feet because of the array of skills he possesses.
Let me know in the comments…
Do you think he would make it in the Premier League?
Do you feel he is the right person to transform the Chelsea attack?
Thank you for reading this article up until this point. I’m officially back writing after a hiatus due to exams. See you’ll next time. Cheers!
