Manchester United have been told they will not stand by when Chelsea make a shock move for Christopher Nkunku, amid claims Todd Boehly has put forward a demand that must be met if the first Red Devils deal under Ruben Amorim goes through.

The French forward joined Stamford Bridge in a remarkable move from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, but much of his debut season in London was ravaged by injury. Nkunku, who made only 14 appearances and scored three goals in his first season, rarely got the chance to step onto the stage. Chelsea How good he can be after his £52 million (€60 million, $66.6 million) transfer.

But despite starting the new season in solid form and most importantly regaining full fitness, the 99-goal striker failed to convince Enzo Maresca that he was worthy of regular Premier League football at Stamford Bridge. The new Italian coach manages his bloated squad by essentially dividing it into two groups; One is used in the Premier League and the other is used in cups.

And while there are of course transitions between the two, most NkunkuBeginnings have come for Chelsea in Europe.

And the failure so far to persuade the Blues to use him more prominently. sky germany He reported at the weekend that he was unhappy with the player’s situation and that he might want to leave Stamford Bridge if his situation did not change.

L’Equipe He then took this a step further by suggesting that: Manchester United They were monitoring the situation closely and were keen to sign the 99-goal striker if the opportunity arose.

Now, according to the law Daily TelegraphChelsea have given Nkunku the green light to leave Stamford Bridge if he remains unhappy and Boehly is ready to approve his sale if United return his full £52m investment when he signs for the Blues.

READ MORE ~ Ruben Amorim given the nod to sign for big Man Utd as clarity emerges on January transfer budget

What happened to Nkunku and can Man Utd afford it?

During his time at Stamford Bridge, Nkunku made just 30 appearances for the club and scored 13 goals. 10 of them have featured in 16 matches this season, but only one of them has come in the Premier League; During the 1-0 win over Bournemouth in September.

In fact, he was limited to just 20 Premier League appearances for the Blues, but only three as a starter, the other 17 coming off the bench.

With Cole Palmer occupying his best position and proving to be an unshakable object, Nkunku also failed to dislodge Nicolas Jackson, who rarely took off or dropped and remained the preferred centre-forward option for Maresca.

As a result, it’s hardly surprising that reports of the player’s unhappiness are surfacing, but it remains to be seen whether Amorim will decide to spend the bulk of his January budget on another striker.

Indeed, United’s new boss is said to have money to spend, to the tune of around £60 million if Monday’s reports are correct; This means it could apparently happen if Nkunku follows through on this agreement.

But there is a feeling that United may need to prioritize elsewhere, especially if Amorim is looking to convert United into his preferred 3-4-3 formation. With that in mind, will there be a place for him in United’s attack, or rather is his signing vital for Amorim at the moment?

Chelsea could see Osimhen’s plan missed / Real Madrid could stun Man Utd

There is a suggestion that if Chelsea sell Nkunku, they will use the money to sign long-term target Victor Osimhen.

While the Nigerian narrowly found the back of the net in the summer window, the Napoli player was eventually forced to join Galatasaray on loan and has since scored eight goals in nine appearances.

Links with Chelsea are ongoing and a move in January cannot be ruled out. Reports now claim Newcastle have been offered the chance to bag a transfer They are allegedly planning for life after Alexander Isak.

Meanwhile, it is widely believed that Amorim will first look to strengthen his defense at Old Trafford. Jonathan Tah’s potentially planned first signing is now under serious threat from Real Madrid.

Los Blancos recently lost Eder Militao to a season-ending ACL injury, leaving them scrambling to find a replacement for Carlo Ancelotti.

With Tah’s contract expiring next summer, he looks set to move to the top of the list; this left United disappointed and it was believed that United were also pursuing a deal.

Elsewhere, United are reportedly continuing their search for a Norwegian midfielder over Martin Odegaard After being convinced that Amorim would be an ideal fit for his style.

Nkunku’s relationship with Chelsea

Nkunku will rightly be disappointed not to be included in Maresca’s Premier League squad this season, featuring in just 15.6% of the minutes he has played in the competition this season.

In the Conference League, this rate is 81.8% and he has started five of the five matches in Europe’s third-tier competition so far in the starting 11.

It’s two out of two in the Carabao Cup too, but Chelsea’s fourth-round bye at Newcastle means they can no longer look to that in later matches.