Chelsea have confirmed the signing of RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku

Chelsea completed their acquisition of France forward Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig in a reported £63 million ($80 million) deal on Tuesday.

Nkunku had already agreed to a pre-contract with the Premier League club in December, and his move to Stamford Bridge has now been finalised.

The 25-year-old has signed a lucrative six-year contract with the Blues, who are undergoing a close-season overhaul in order to rebound from a disappointing season.

“Chelsea is delighted to announce that Christopher Nkunku will join the club from RB Leipzig ahead of the 2023/24 season,” the Blues said in a statement on their website.

Nkunku is one of Europe’s rising stars, having scored 23 goals in 36 games for RB Leipzig last season.

He is Chelsea’s first major signing since Mauricio Pochettino was named manager at the end of May.

“I am overjoyed to be joining Chelsea.” “A lot of effort was put in to get me to the club,” Nkunku explained.

“I’m excited to meet my new coach and teammates, as well as show the Chelsea fans what I’m capable of on the pitch.”

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Nkunku, a product of France’s renowned Clairefontaine national football academy, spent four years at Paris Saint-Germain before joining Leipzig in 2019.

He rose to prominence with the German club, where he was named Bundesliga player of the season in 2021-22 after scoring 20 goals and providing 15 assists.

This season, the versatile forward scored 23 more goals to help Leipzig finish third in the Bundesliga.

Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, said: “Christopher has proven 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 made his France debut last year and has since earned ten caps.

With a leg injury, he was ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“After playing in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I now want to play in the Premier League, which is one of the strongest leagues in the world,” Nkunku explained.

“I’m looking forward to this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt.“