Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly remain in discussions over the future of Christopher Nkunku.
Despite United's 1-0 victory at Fulham on Sunday evening, Ruben Amorim's remains in the market for a fresh face for his Red Devils attack.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have continued to struggle in the final third, Amorim admitting himself after the win at Craven Cottage that United lacked fast attacking options on the substitutes' bench.
United are said to have held an interest in Nkunku for a number of months, a deal becoming more realistic as he continues to struggle for game time at Stamford Bridge.
According to Sky Deutschland journalist Florian Plettenberg, the relevant parties have not closed the door on a transfer occurring before the end of the winter transfer window.
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Nkunku dialogue remains open
Commenting on X, Plettenberg suggests that conversations will continue to be had up until the February 3 deadline, providing that a deal remains feasible.
A notable departure is required for United to facilitate such a high-profile deal, speculation persisting that Alejandro Garnacho remains available for the right price.
While Chelsea are said to hold an interest in acquiring the services of the Argentina international, Napoli are also monitoring the situation.
In the case of Nkunku, he remains on 420 minutes of Premier League football spread across three starts and 16 substitute outings in all competitions.
Although game time will come in the FA Cup and Conference League should he stay put, he is yet to convince head coach Enzo Maresca that he is worthy of more starts in England's top flight.
If Nkunku were to leave the West Londoners, Maresca would require a replacement, with 18-year-old Marc Guiu seemingly not yet deemed ready to act as deputy to Nicolas Jackson.
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Chelsea to miss out on Tel?
A recent report claimed that Chelsea were preparing to reignite their interest in Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel, who has failed to feature in the club's last three fixtures.
Nevertheless, it has since been alleged that the 19-year-old does not view Chelsea as a place where he can continue his development.
Therefore, Chelsea officials are left to scour the market for alternatives, particularly if they receive an offer for Nkunku that they cannot refuse.
Darren Plant
