Report: Struggling Chelsea attacker could join Borussia Dortmund on loan this winter | OneFootball

Let’s face it, Borussia Dortmund has a thing for players struggling in the Premier League. The club’s transfer history is littered with examples of players (former BVB or otherwise) coming to the club to try and jumpstart their careers after moves to the Premier League saw their careers falter.

In many ways, who can blame the club? A god percentage of the time, Dortmund can get some sort of tune out of these players, and it often leads to clubs abroad having their interest piqued. From Shinji Kagawa and Jadon Sancho returning to Dortmund after failed moves to Manchester United, to Ian Maatsen excelling at BVB last season before joining Aston Villa, to Yan Couto opting for Dortmund after Manchester City didn’t show him enough of a perspective to entice the player to stay after a very successful loan spell at Girona, Dortmund is by far one of the better destinations that these players could have ended up.

Christopher Nkunku linked with a posssible Bundesliga return with BVB

According to reports, Dortmund could be in the market to make such a move a reality for a certain Christopher Nkunku. The talented French attacker has struggled with injuries and a lack of time on the pitch since joining Chelsea in 2023, but his 20 goal and 15 assists in the domestic 2021/22 season for Leipzig underlines just what he is capable of.

With a player of Nkunku’s quality, any sort of move presents a slew of hurdles, making the proposed loan move very unlikely at the time of writing. His wages, coupled with Dortmund’s current attacking options, make the idea of his signing seem more like a fantasy than anything else.

A move is "plausible" under certain circumstances

Keeping this in mind, there is a scenario where a loan does become an option for Dortmund to consider. There’s been ample speculation surrounding the future of Doneyll Malen, and with the player's ongoing agent merry-go-round, it’s likely that the club and player will look to find a resolution regarding his future sooner rather than later.

In parting ways with Malen, Dortmund essentially makes room for an additional attacking player in the process, saving on his wages as well as gaining some sort of transfer fee. Because of Nkunku’s versatility, we could see him feature up top as a striker or at the number 10 position, with Maximilian Beier featuring out wide, for example.

While I’m not sitting here championing such a move, as frankly Beier’s development is just simply more important than getting Nkunku’s career back on track, if the Frenchman could come in and help shoulder Brandt’s burden for example, this could be beneficial from a rotation standpoint. Nkunku would likely still get more minutes at Dortmund than he does at Chelsea, and his ability to be versatile could help in this respect.

As already mentioned, a move of this sort is still very unlikely. Dortmund’s links to players like Jobe Bellingham shows that overall, the focus seems to be on bringing in young talent over options that are unlikely to become permanent fixtures in the squad. That being said, considering Nkunku’s talent and previous exploits, it’s interesting to think about just what he’d be able to help Dortmund achieve, even if he joined for only half a season.