has scored more goals than any other player this season, but is unhappy with his lack of game time and is not ruling out a departure next year.
The 27-year-old has scored 10 goals in 17 appearances so far this campaign, although his minutes have been very limited and most of these goals have come in the .
The France international has started just one Premier League game and scored one goal in the top flight this season, with three more strikes in the Carabao Cup and six of his goals coming in the Conference League.
Nkunku’s one league start came on the opening day of the season in defeat to Manchester City and he has had to make do with nine substitute appearances since then.
Understandably he is not thrilled about this, with reporting that a source close to the player confirms that he is unhappy with the situation.
It is not drastic unhappiness and the forward has not complained to the Chelsea hierarchy or made a transfer request, but if the situation doesn’t change then things could escalate.
If the Frenchman continues to only be a fringe player in the Premier League then he could push for an exit in the summer transfer window next year.
Competition for places in Chelsea’s front line is intense, with Nicolas Jackson the preferred option to lead the line and then a string of players battling it out to play behind him.
The three in Maresca’s good books at the moment appear to be Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke, but Jadon Sancho, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are also in the squad and hoping to play more regularly.
Nkunku is in his second season with Chelsea although at the start of the campaign he said he is treating it as his first after injury limited him to just 11 Premier League appearances in his debut year.
‘For me, this is my first season in Chelsea FC, for sure. To be honest, I don’t have the feeling I had a first season here. It was very difficult,’ he said over the summer.
‘When a player misses one season, he is very hungry. I am very hungry. My goal this season is to play and to be confident. I know if I am happy and confident in my body, I can show what I am able to do.’
