Why swapping 27 year old elite player for 19 year old talent could keep both sides happy | OneFootball

This January window took a while to get going, but it’s really bursting into life now.

Yesterday was a day full of reports about potential departures from Chelsea, but late in the evening the most interesting news of all broke. We all know Christopher Nkunku isn’t really fancied by Enzo Maresca, and the Frenchman looks likely to leave in the summer unless his circumstances and playing time change – but what if he were to leave now, this month?

Chelsea wouldn’t sanction losing an important option at this stage in the campaign without a major incentive, and key for them would be maintaining their attacking depth.

So a swap deal for another attacker – in theory – works well.

That’s what was suggested last night, with the Mail claiming that we’ve made an offer for Mathys Tel, the Bayern Munich winger, with the German club interested in Christopher Nkunku in return.

Chelsea get the younger player – Munich get the established star

Mathys Tel in action for Bayern Munich. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

The deal would see Chelsea trade 27 year old Nkunku for the 19 year old Tel, who the Blues chased last summer, as we reported at the time here.

Nkunku is far more experienced and has 4 strong years in the Bundesliga under his belt, while Tel might be more the type of player Maresca likes to work with. In theory it could work for both sides. Nkunku isn’t playing enough to keep him happy at Chelsea; not Tel in Munich.

And it could yet be “arranged” as two separate deals, but each contingent on the other, as we saw with Joao Felix and Conor Gallagher in the summer. That allows both teams to reap the FFP benefits from the sale, while still being able to amortise the purchase over time.

It might require one team to pay the other the difference in value, but there is actually some sense in this idea.