What Unai Emery has already said about Christopher Nkunku as Aston Villa contact made
Aston Villa have been linked with a last-gasp swoop for Christopher Nkunku.
Villa have made contact with Chelsea over Nkunku as the need for attacking reinforcements at Villa Park became hugely important after the defeat against Brentford on Saturday (23 August).
It is clear that Unai Emery’s squad is currently lacking, as his side put in a dismal performance before losing to Keith Andrews and Co. away from home.
Having lost both Premier League games without scoring to begin the campaign, the signing of Nkunku could have a telling impact in B6.
With that being said, the impact of the Villa boss could make a difference on a deal being done, especially with what the Spaniard has previously said about the Chelsea man.
Unai Emery has trust in Christopher Nkunku
The 1-0 loss away to Brentford was terrible, and there was very little reason for the travelling support to be positive in West London.
This didn’t come as a surprise, in all honesty, after a stale starting 11 was named, with Donyell Malen once again left out by Emery.
Unfortunately, even with the Dutchman on the pitch as a substitute, the Villans struggled in forward areas and didn’t truly land a glove on the Bees.
As a result, adding a new forward to the squad in the Midlands feels like a necessary requirement, even after the signing of Evann Guessand from OGC Nice.
Aston Villa’s current forward options:
- Ollie Watkins
- Donyell Malen
- Evann Guessand
- Zepiqueno Redmond
If anyone is to come through the doors, they must have the trust of the Villa boss, something which Nkunku would have immediately.
The pair have prior experience working together at PSG, where the versatile attacker broke through and became a useful asset for the Spaniard.
This saw him represent an alternative to Adrien Rabiot at the Parc Des Princes in January 2019, where Emery spoke in a press conference to publicly back Nkunku.
He said: “He’s doing the training with us, and he’s doing the progression to play with us. He is a good player. With Rabiot’s injury, it’s a possibility he’s playing. I trust him.”
Christopher Nkunku’s wages may cause a problem for Aston Villa
In his days with RB Leipzig, there is no hiding away from the fact that the 27-year-old was superb and deserved a big-money move to Stamford Bridge.
Having netted 58 and assisted 23 in his final two seasons with the Bundesliga side, there is an elite player in there that hasn’t been seen at Chelsea.
| Club | Year | Goals | Assists |
| Chelsea | 2024/25 | 15 | 5 |
| Chelsea | 2023/24 | 3 | 0 |
| RB Leipzig | 2022/23 | 23 | 7 |
| RB Leipzig | 2021/22 | 35 | 16 |
As a result, it could be a perfect opportunity for Emery to link up with a former player in a move that could benefit all parties this campaign.
With that being said, a reported wage of £195k per week is unlikely to suit Villa as UEFA’s Squad Cost Rules continue to rear their ugly head.
It will certainly be interesting to see if a wage split can be agreed with Chelsea, but if not, a deal feels increasingly unlikely regardless of a prior player-manager relationship.
Sign up for the Villa News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Aston Villa news sent straight to your phone.