Pep Guardiola thinks Chelsea are signing an ‘exceptional player’ who Liverpool snubbed
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has praised Christopher Nkunku, the RB Leipzig player who will be joining Chelsea in the upcoming summer.
Tonight, City will play Leipzig in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 match, and they will have to work hard as the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw in Germany.
However, playing at the Etihad Stadium should give them an advantage, and the absence of Christopher Nkunku, who is a key player for Leipzig, will further aid their cause.
Despite returning to action earlier this month following a long injury absence, the French footballer suffered another injury setback. As a result, he is unlikely to play in tonight’s game, much to the satisfaction of Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City faced Leipzig in last season’s Champions League group stage and emerged victorious with a scoreline of 6-3. However, in that game, Christopher Nkunku put up a stunning performance and scored a magnificent hat-trick.
The 25-year-old French player, who previously played for Paris Saint-Germain, has been in incredible form lately, having scored 17 goals and provided five assists this season. In the previous season, he achieved a remarkable 35 goals and 20 assists.
Despite Nkunku’s absence from tonight’s game, Guardiola continues to be an admirer of the talented midfielder and has praised him ahead of the match.
According to City’s official website, Guardiola expressed his admiration for Nkunku and described him as an “exceptional player”. However, he also acknowledged that even without Nkunku, Leipzig remains a formidable opponent and a threat to his team.
“Nkunku is exceptional player but they live this season without him and do it really well without him,” said Guardiola.
It appears that Guardiola might have to face Nkunku more frequently in the near future. According to reports from The Telegraph, Liverpool had the opportunity to sign Nkunku last summer but declined the offer, a decision they might come to regret as the Frenchman is now set to join one of their Premier League rivals.
As per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Nkunku is set to join Chelsea this summer in a deal worth around €60million (£53million). With Nkunku’s exceptional form and talent, it remains to be seen how he will perform in the Premier League and whether he can help Chelsea compete for major honours.
Considering Nkunku’s impressive attacking stats at Leipzig, his reported transfer fee of €60million (£53million) could prove to be an absolute bargain.
It remains to be seen how Chelsea will fit all their attacking signings into the team, but Nkunku possesses the necessary skillset to excel in the Premier League.
If Nkunku performs to his potential, he could be a significant threat to both Manchester City and Liverpool for years to come. Guardiola will be relieved that he doesn’t have to face Nkunku tonight, but he will likely have to come up with a plan to contain him in the future.
Pep Guardiola thinks Chelsea are signing an ‘exceptional player’ who Liverpool snubbed
