Manchester United are "interested" in bringing Chelsea starlet Christopher Nkunku to Old Trafford in January, as the French striker struggles to hold down a starting berth at Stamford Bridge.

The 27-year-old has been at Chelsea since last summer, when the west London club triggered the £52 million release clause in the former RB Leipzig star's contract.

Nkunku's first season at Stamford Bridge was a disaster, with just 14 appearances due to fitness and injury problems. The French talent has made up for this in the early stages of the 2024/25 campaign, with 10 goals and one assist in 17 appearances.

However, the 27-year-old has played just 154 minutes in the Premier League, with Enzo Maresca currently preferring Nicolas Jackson to lead his front line, leaving the France international unhappy in west London.

This has led to rumours that Nkunku is set to leave Chelsea ahead of the January transfer window. According to former Premier League scout Mick Brown, Manchester United are one of the clubs "interested" in signing the former RB Leipzig star. United believe that Christopher Nkunku would be a "perfect fit" for Ruben Amorim's "new" United.

"From what I understand, Manchester United are definitely interested," Brown told Football Insider. "I heard he is one of their targets and they may snap him up in January or the summer."

The former scout continued: "He is one of those modern players who is not a true striker, not a true midfielder, not a true winger. He is a combination of all three.

"So when you look at Amorim's Sporting Lisbon team, you see that the forwards are all fast and they play from behind the back and put them under pressure. Nkunku strikes me as a player who is very suitable for that level. He is also good enough to play at this level every week. "