Chelsea are "really confident" that they will sign RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Frenchman is a primary target for the west London club and it is believed that they are close to landing him.

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What is the latest news involving Nkunku?

90min recently reported that Chelsea are hoping to bring Nkunku to Stamford Bridge in January.

However, that looks unlikely with the 25-year-old's release clause not becoming active until next summer.

As per The Telegraph, it is currently set at £52.5m, and Chelsea are now expected to pay a fee around that figure to secure the player.

Nkunku has been in stunning form for Leipzig this season, already scoring 17 goals in all competitions for the German side.

What has Romano said about Nkunku to Chelsea?

Romano has told GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea are confident about concluding a deal for Nkunku.

Speaking to GMS, the journalist said: "Chelsea are really confident. Chelsea are really confident because the player has already had a medical with the club.

"It was in September; then we had some denials because it's normal to protect the player and protect the clubs in September. But what I'm told is that the medical was with Chelsea staff and for Chelsea."

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Can Chelsea afford to wait until next summer to sign Nkunku?

No. The Blues could really do with a forward of Nkunku's calibre now.

As highlighted earlier, he has been brilliant this campaign, just as he was in the previous one. During the 2021/22 season, the France international scored 35 times in 52 outings.

"This season, in the space of just a few weeks, he has taken several steps forward, which means he can now be considered as a world-class player," former Leipzig assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer said last term.

Ultimately, with Chelsea managing to register just two goals from their last five Premier League matches, Graham Potter could definitely do with Nkunku's firepower right now.

It looks like the Blues will have to wait until next summer to sign the former Paris Saint-Germain star, though, and there is no guarantee that he would be an instant success anyway.

If he does join Potter's men in January and hits the ground running, however, it could transform Chelsea's season, which has been an extremely disappointing one so far. Right now, the eighth-placed side look really blunt in attack, but Nkunku's track record suggests he could change that.

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