“He is good, but…” — Chelsea boss on Christopher Nkunku

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has pinpointed an area of development for forward Christopher Nkunku, acknowledging that the player is yet to reach his peak form, despite his notable contributions in Chelsea’s recent 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

In the aftermath of Chelsea’s triumph, where Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke secured the win for the Blues, Pochettino highlighted Nkunku’s significant role in linking Chelsea’s attacking moves together as an advanced midfielder before being shifted to a wider position later in the game.

Pochettino acknowledged Nkunku’s involvement in Chelsea’s offensive plays, describing him as a “very intelligent player” capable of connecting and adding a missing element to the team’s attacking prowess.

However, despite his contributions, Pochettino expressed a desire to witness further progress from the 26-year-old Frenchman, indicating that Nkunku is yet to hit his peak performance level.

“The problem is that Christopher Nkunku is still far away from his best,” Pochettino conveyed in his remarks to Amazon Prime. “He is a very intelligent player. He can connect [us]. We missed this kind of playmaker.”

While acknowledging Nkunku’s ability to enhance the team’s offensive dynamics, Pochettino emphasized that the player’s forte lies in his offensive capabilities, navigating the spaces between the lines to create opportunities.

“Nkunku can do this, but he is more of an offensive player, who is going to go forward and have space in-between the lines,” Pochettino added.