Chelsea transfer news: Christopher Nkunku has been announced as a new Chelsea player ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season

Christopher Nkunku says he is excited for the challenge ahead at Chelsea after it was announced on Tuesday that he had officially joined the club. The Frenchman had been linked with a move to the Blues before a deal was said to have been completed last year.

It's confirmation of a move that has been a long time coming, with a medical and contract signings taking place many months ago. There was an agreement over announcing the move at the end of the season, but with RB Leipzig's involvement in the DFB Pokal final and then international duty, that was delayed until now.

The 25-year-old joins the west London outfit on a six-year deal and is able to play on both wings, as an attacking midfielder or as a striker. It marks the first first-team signing of the Mauricio Pochettino, even if the deal was completed during the era of Graham Potter.

Speaking to the official Chelsea website, the forward said: "I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea. A big effort was made to bring me to the club and I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and teammates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch.

"Having played in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I now want to play in the Premier League, one of the strongest leagues in the world. I am very excited for this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt."

Over a campaign that was riddled with injury concerns, Nkunku still managed to win the Bundesliga golden boot, scoring 16 goals in just 25 appearances. Add six league assists into the mix with a run to the Champions League round of 16 and a DFB Pokal triumph and it's been an impressive year.

Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, added: "Christopher has proved himself one of the standout attacking players in European football over the past two seasons and will add quality, creativity and versatility to our squad. He has demonstrated his ability at the highest level with RB Leipzig and France and we look forward to him joining up with his new teammates ahead of the new season."