Liverpool told of transfer mistake as Chelsea beat Premier League rivals to Christopher Nkunku

In the summer, the Reds were among the teams linked with a move for the Frenchman, who was headed to Chelsea.

Chelsea seems to be quite close to finalizing a deal for next summer even though the transfer season merely closed last month. In preparation for a potential transfer to the Blues in the summer of 2019, football.london knows that Christopher Nkunku has signed a pre-contract deal with the club.

The 24-year-old forward from RB Leipzig has been a longtime target for Chelsea and appears likely to sign with them before the 2023–24 season. Todd Boehly has put in a lot of effort in the background to make sure that Nkunku is the first signing of the Graham Potter era.

In his 34 games the previous season, he personally assisted 35 goals, earning him the title of Bundesliga Player of the Season. David Ornstein of The Athletic reports that Nkunku faced some opposition from the "highest reaches" of the Premier League.

Liverpool was one among the English-based teams rumored to be interested in signing the Frenchman, but Chelsea seem to have prevailed over the Reds. Neil Warnock, a former Liverpool defender, thinks Nkunku would provide "so many difficulties" for rival defenses and understands why teams like Jurgen Klopp's group and Real Madrid have been keeping an eye on the Chelsea-bound star.

According to Warnock of Sky Sports News, "It matches the model that Chelsea were aiming after in the summer." "When you consider [Carney] Chukwuemeka and Anthony Gordon, both of whom they pursued, you can see the young, up-and-coming talents that Chelsea Football Club is hoping to add to their squad in the near future.

"He plays very excitingly. Due to his quickness and ability to play off either flank as well as into the middle, he will be a major headache for league defenders.

"He was mentioned in connection with Liverpool in the summer, Real Madrid, and his former team, Paris Saint-Germain. His levels have skyrocketed since he left Paris Saint-Germain for Leipzig."