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Liverpool ‘DECLINED the opportunity to sign Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig last summer’ after Jurgen Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders opted out… allowing Chelsea to seal a £63m deal for the French striker.
- Liverpool were reportedly offered the chance to sign Nkunku last summer
- Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders declined the opportunity and Chelsea pounced
- French striker Nkunku, 25, has agreed to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer
- Lijnders has had more influence over transfers at Liverpool of late
- The Reds have suffered injuries in attack but have signed Cody Gakpo
Liverpool “turned down the opportunity to sign French striker Christopher Nkunku last 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 £63m fee for him last month. Chelsea reportedly paid £10m for Nkunku’s release clause to secure him.
But Nkunku could have signed for Liverpool, only manager Jurgen Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders, who is increasingly influential in transfers, declined the opportunity.
Liverpool reportedly turned down the opportunity to sign striker Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig last summer, allowing Chelsea to agree a £63m deal for the striker from France.
Jurgen Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders, who has an increasing influence on transfer decisions, decided not to sign Nkunku.
The Daily Telegraph report that Nkunku’s positional flexibility in the forward line meant that he could have been a long-term replacement for Roberto Firmino.
It would also have given Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz competition 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 have all spent time on the sidelines during the tight schedule of festive fixtures, 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 bench after suffering an injury
Nkunku limped out of training on the eve of the World Cup and missed the tournament
But even if Liverpool had reviewed the signing of Nkunku for January, Chelsea had already beat them to it.
The Frenchman has scored 17 goals in 23 appearances for Leipzig this season, on the back of a Frenchman tally of 35 goals 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 became the first signing of the Graham Potter era at Stamford Bridge, although he won’t be able to do anything about the Blues’ stutter in their quest for a top-four place.
Nkunku has proven 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 signing has grown in recent years following the departure of manager Michael Edwards in 2021 and his successor Julian Ward, who is working on his notice period.
Mike Gordon, the president of the owners of Fenway Sports Group, has withdrawn on the recruiting side, while Ian Graham, the club’s director of research, has left.
Lijnders approved three of Liverpool’s main signings in the last two seasons: Díaz, Darwin Núñez and Gakpo.