Will Christopher Nkunku prove to be a game-changer for Chelsea and Dream Team managers?

CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU (£4m) made his long-awaited Chelsea debut last night.

The Frenchman came off the bench in the 69th minute as the Blues edged out Newcastle on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Given he’s spent over four months on the sidelines with an injured knee, a little ring rust was to be expected but Nkunku looked comfortable enough in the game’s closing stages and, most encouragingly, he emphatically converted his spot-kick in the shootout.

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Naturally, the Stamford Bridge faithful were over the moon to see their £52million forward in action.

Chelsea are currently tenth in the Premier League having blown hot and cold so far this season and many fans will be hoping Nkunku’s return to fitness will act as a positive turning point.

The 26-year-old is a natural talent and so many Dream Team managers will be wondering if he’s a potential game-changer at this crucial stage of the campaign.

At £4million he’s reasonably priced, cheaper than the likes of Alexander Isak (£4.1m), Darwin Nunez (£4.1m) and Julian Alvarez (£4.2m) at present, but there are several other factors to consider.

Nkunku was one of the Bundesliga’s very best players prior to his transfer to West London but while some individuals have transitioned seamlessly from Germany to English soil, many others have either required time to adapt or diminished entirely.

For example, Kai Havertz (£3.4m) was highly-admired in his homeland (he still is) but he never truly settled at Chelsea and it’s only in the last month he’s begun to win over Arsenal supporters.

Nkunku scored 58 goals across his last two seasons at his former club and his success was not contained to the German top flight – he produced several eye-catching performances in the Champions League, including a hat-trick against Manchester City.

The 2022/23 Bundesliga top scorer is not an out-and-out striker in the mould of an Erling Haaland (£7.9m), Ivan Toney (£5m) or Callum Wilson (£4.4m) but he is a goalscorer.

Dream Team gaffers should not be put off by the fact he’ll occupy deeper positions at times, it’s his ultimate output in the final third that matters.

It’s interesting to note that the France international ranked just 17th for shots on target in the Bundesliga last season given nobody scored more league goals than him.

Throughout the first two months of the season, Chelsea’s primary problem was their inability to convert chances.

A fully-fit Nkunku should address that issue.

On paper, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have a favourable double header in Gameweek 17: Wolves (a) followed by Crystal Palace (h).

However, a flurry of Dream Team gaffers using transfers to recruit Nkunku this week would be exceedingly bold.

Having suffered a relatively serious knee injury, his return is likely to be managed in the coming weeks in regards to minutes on the pitch.

It’s probably best to scout him during this festive period with a view to making a firmer decision on his viability in the new year.

If he regains match sharpness and settles into Chelsea’s set-up smoothly, he may well prove to be a smart differential.

Good luck to the 0.7% of Dream Team bosses who are set to back Nkunku in Gameweek 17!