Chelsea have completed the signing of France international Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig after months of speculation.
The 25-year-old made a pre-contract agreement to join the club in December but has now completed the move for a reported £52million.
He scored 23 goals in 36 games for the Bundesliga side last season and becomes the first major arrival at Stamford Bridge since Mauricio Pochettino was confirmed as the club’s new manager.
“I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea,” Nkunku told the club’s website.
“A big effort was made to bring me to the club and I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and team-mates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch.”
Former RB Leipzig team-mate Timo Werner – who moved back to the Bundesliga side from Chelsea – had a warning for Nkunku when the transfer was mooted over the winter.
“Everyone has to have their own experience,” Werner told Bild in January.
“I had a very good first year, the second was so-so. I can tell him from positive and negative experiences, should he move.
“At a club like that, you don’t play like you did at RB Leipzig, because there’s even more competition – not only on a sporting level, but also on another level, in the mental area.
“You have to cope with that, and everyone has to find their own way. That’s why it’s the wrong approach to give others tips.
“My time there has changed me a lot. It made me more mature, more reflective. And made me want to go abroad again at the end of my career.
“I still get a lot of letters from Chelsea fans or am addressed on vacation – almost always positively. I think they liked that I was authentic.
“It’s important that you can be who you are in football too. And you don’t always have to pretend.”
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