Jadon Sancho feelings clear as Man Utd look to sign his 'dressing room friend' at Chelsea

Manchester United are eyeing up a move for Christopher Nkunku, who's been struggling for game-time at Chelsea this season.

The Frenchman, who joined the Blues from RB Leipzig for £52million in 2023, has started just once in the Premier League under Enzo Maresca. He's been playing plenty of cup football and has a healthy tally of nine goals across seven games in the Conference League and Carabao Cup, but his inability to break into Chelsea's first-choice XI has cast doubt over his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

According to French outlet L'Equipe, United have enquired about Nkunku's availability and could test Chelsea's resolve with a bid for the 26-year-old, who is unhappy about his playing time, in January. That said, it's understood that the forward is still a key part of Chelsea's plans and many within the club are keen for him to stay, chief among them being Jadon Sancho.

According to GiveMeSport, the England ace, who joined Chelsea on loan from United in the summer, has a 'close bond' with Nkunku off the pitch. Their friendship off it has already translated into on-field cohesion, with Sancho, 24, setting Nkunku up for a late winner against Bournemouth on his debut back in August.

After the game, Sancho uploaded a photo of the pair celebrating the goal on Instagram, stating that he was "delighted" to have made his Blues bow. In response, Nkunku wrote: "Thank you my bro," presumably in reference to Sancho's assist.

Given their closeness, Sancho will likely be sad to see Nkunku exit the club in January, not least to his former club, who he left in acrimonious circumstances having failed to live up to his £73m price tag and falling out with now former boss Erik ten Hag.

Since his Blues debut, Sancho has contributed two more assists but is yet to buckle the net in Chelsea blue. He began the season with a run of starts in the Premier League but has sat out the club's last six games in all competitions after picking up a knock and suffering a mild illness.

The ex-Dortmund man, who grew up supporting Chelsea, will join the Blues permanently at the end of the season provided Maresca's men don't capitulate over the remaining two-thirds of the campaign. Included in the loan agreement between Chelsea and United is a £20m plus £5m obligation to buy clause, which will be activated providing Chelsea finish above 15th in the league.

Nkunku, meanwhile, has largely struggled to get his career in England going. After blasting 58 goals in 88 games in his final two seasons at Leipzig, hopes were high that the ex-PSG man would solve Chelsea's long-standing attacking problems.

But a series of ill-timed injuries derailed his first season in west London and limited him to just two starts in all competitions. So far this term, he's made 17 appearances and netted 10 goals, six of which have come in the Conference League.

As of yet, Chelsea haven't really worked out Nkunku's best position, with the Paris-born star hopping between left wing and the No. 9 role. Many think the No. 10 spot would suit him best, but with Cole Palmer more or less undroppable at the moment, getting minutes there might be easier said than done.

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