'I'm still the same player!' - Christopher Nkunku reveals real reason he believes he flopped at Chelsea after completing summer Milan move

Nkunku has revealed he was left disappointed by boss Enzo Maresca's decision to let him go, in a forthright assessment of his time at Stamford Bridge. After battling back from a serious knee injury in the 2023/24 season, he featured 27 times for the Blues last term, scoring three goals and providing two assists. But he was allowed to leave for AC Milan this summer in a £36 million ($49m) switch, having cost Chelsea £52m ($70m) in June 2023.  

Nkunku has not been included in Didier Deschamps' quality-laden squad for the current round of World Cup qualifiers. Les Bleus face Ukraine and Iceland in the coming days, with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, and Michael Olise having been given the nod. 

Nkunku told Tuttomercatoweb: "I think everything was perfect when I arrived, but then I got injured and was out for many months. I was really eager to return, and then I had another muscle problem. I was fine in my second year, but then the coach made other decisions. I’m still the same player who scored twice in Bergamo."

It's a new chapter for Nkunku, who only moved to the Milan giants a few days ago. The goal will be to rediscover the form he showed at RB Leipzig, where he scored 70 goals in 172 appearances and force his way back into the France squad.