"Are not a million miles away" - Former Chelsea star disagrees with Ralf Rangnick over his comments on Christopher Nkunku's transfer decision
Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has disputed Ralf Rangnick's claim over the transfer of RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku. This comes after the former Manchester United interim boss stated that the Frenchman decided on a move to Stamford Bridge far too early in his career.
Johnson said:
"I don't agree with Ralf Rangnick at all about Christopher Nkunku coming to Chelsea too early. It is not great at the moment but Chelsea are still Chelsea. A fantastic football club with fantastic players, there is just a lot of change going on at the moment. There is no dust that needs to settle."
He added:
"Nkunku is certainly not going to an in-form Chelsea at the slightest, but once a manager and the owners settle in at the club, Chelsea will be alright. They are not a million miles away at all. Yes, at the minute they are struggling, but I don't think Nkunku regrets signing early."
Nkunku is set to join the Blues after the two clubs agreed on a deal that would see the player join this summer for over £60 million.
Earlier, Rangnick had this to say:
"At the moment, no matter who comes as a coach, you can’t really recommend anyone to go there. The very first thing to do is establish some sort of strategy and reduce the squad to a reasonable size that any coach can work with. I’m also thinking of a player whose commitment to RB Leipzig I was at least a little involved in – Christopher Nkunku."
He added:
“For me one of the best attacking midfielders currently available. And who, in my opinion, decided to move to Chelsea far too early. Imagine he comes to a club that is in the state it is at the moment. Such an outstanding player. This hurts my heart personally. If I were his advisor or his father, I would be very worried right now.”
The west London side have seen two permanent managers being sacked this season after having spent over £600 million on players. They are currently 11th in the Premier League table and are likely to finish outside the European places. They have also lost all five of their previous games.
3 Chelsea stars set to leave as Blues prepare to trim squad
Kalidou Koulibaly, Hakim Ziyech, and Kepa Arrizabalaga are among the top names who could leave the Blues at the end of the season. According to various sources, all three players have been linked with moves to Serie A clubs.
Koulibaly just arrived at the London club from Napoli last summer but his mediocre performances could see him leave. He has made 31 appearances for the club so far. Football Italia report that Juventus have an interest in signing the experienced defender.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, meanwhile, could be involved in a swap deal for Inter Milan's Andre Onana according to Football Italia.
Hakim Ziyech looks set to leave with Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, and AC Milan interested. He was linked with a move to PSG in January but the move broke down due to paperwork issues.