Liverpool ‘turned down the chance to sign Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig last summer’ after Jurgen Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders opted out… allowing Chelsea to seal the £63m deal for the France striker
- Liverpool were reportedly offered the chance to sign Nkunku last summer
- Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders spurned the chance and Chelsea triumphed
- France striker Nkunku, 25, has agreed a summer move to Stamford Bridge
- Lijnders has had more influence on transfers at Liverpool in recent seasons
- The Reds suffered from injuries in attack but they signed Cody Gakpo
‘Liverpool turned down the chance to sign France striker Christopher Nkunku in the summer’ – paving the way for him to join Chelsea.
The 25-year-old will move to Stamford Bridge in the summer after Chelsea agreed a £63million fee for him last month. Chelsea have reportedly paid £10m in Nkunku’s release clause to secure him.
But Nkunku could have signed for Liverpool, only for manager Jurgen Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders, who are increasingly influential in transfers, to reject the opportunity.
Liverpool reportedly turned down the chance to sign striker Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig last summer – allowing Chelsea to agree a £63m deal for the France striker
Jurgen Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders, who are increasingly influential in transfer decisions, decided not to move for Nkunku
The Daily Telegraph report that Nkunku’s positional flexibility across the forward line means he could be a long-term replacement for Roberto Firmino.
He would also provide competition for Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz in wide areas.
Although Liverpool have completed the £44m signing of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven, who is expected to feature against Wolves in the FA Cup on Saturday night, injuries have left them depleted in attack.
Diaz, Diogo Jota and Firmino all spent time on the sidelines during a busy fixture list, with Liverpool losing 3-1 at Brentford on Monday in a setback to their top-four ambitions.
Nkunku was forced to watch the World Cup from the sidelines after suffering an injury
Nkunku collapsed in training on the eve of the World Cup and missed the tournament
But even though Liverpool revisited the signing of Nkunku for January, Chelsea have beaten them to the punch.
The Frenchman has scored 17 goals in 23 appearances for Leipzig this season, on the back of a 35-goal haul in 2021-22.
Nkunku was forced to withdraw from France’s World Cup squad when he suffered an injury on the eve of the tournament.
He has been the first statement signing of the Graham Potter era at Stamford Bridge although he can do little about the Blues’ stuttering form as they chase a top four spot.
Nkunku has proven himself to be a prolific goalscorer for RB Leipzig in recent seasons
Liverpool produced one of their worst performances for some time when they lost at Brentford
Lijnders’ influence on Liverpool’s recruitment has grown in recent years following the departure of technical director Michael Edwards in 2021 and his successor Julian Ward, who is serving his notice period.
Mike Gordon, the president of owners Fenway Sports Group, has stepped back from the recruitment side, while Ian Graham, the club’s director of research, has left.
Three of Liverpool’s key signings over the past two seasons – Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Gakpo – have been approved by Lijnders.
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