“We expect more” – Enzo Maresca explains issues with £195k-a-week Chelsea star | OneFootball

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has explained that he expects more from Christopher Nkunku, but that he’s also trying to understand him better as a player.

The France international looked like a hugely exciting talent during his time at former club RB Leipzig, but for a variety of reasons it’s just not quite happened for him yet at Stamford Bridge.

It’s fair to say Nkunku got off to a difficult start to life at Chelsea due to injuries, but he’s also not quite made the most of the time he has had on the pitch.

Maresca has now admitted that he’d like to see more from Nkunku, but he also made it clear that it’s partly his responsibility to fit him into his best role.

See below for the Italian tactician’s assessment of Nkunku after last night’s win over Southampton, as per journalist Fabrizio Romano…

When asked about Nkunku after the game, Maresca said: “I am happy with him. But I know he can give more. We expect more from him.

“But at the same time, we try to understand him. He is not a number nine and not a winger. He played as a winger tonight. He is an attacking midfielder.”

Can Christopher Nkunku still make it at Chelsea?

Christopher Nkunku celebrates by blowing a blue balloon after scoring for Chelsea vs Southampton (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Nkunku is surely good enough to make it at a big club, but it remains to be seen if Chelsea will prove to be the right home for him.

The 27-year-old earns £195,000 a week, as per Give Me Sport, so it’s probably fair for everyone at CFC to question if this high earner is really looking like good value for money.

Nicolas Jackson’s injury could in theory give Nkunku an opportunity to show what he can do, but it also seems that Maresca doesn’t view him as a striker.

At the same time, there is so much competition in the attacking midfield department that it’s perhaps hard to see Nkunku holding down a place there.

It will be interesting to see how Nkunku himself responds to Maresca’s words here, and if he can step up to give his manager the kinds of performances he’s expecting.