Nkunku nears Chelsea exit as Garnacho deal moves closer

Neither Alejandro Garnacho (left) nor Christopher Nkunku have been involved in a matchday squad for their clubs this season

AC Milan have agreed a £36m deal - including add-ons - to sign Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku as the Blues close on a deal for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.

Nkunku, 27, is expected to accept a pay cut in order to join the Italian side on a five-year contract and has been given permission to travel for a medical.

The Blues have also included a sell-on clause as part of the deal, which will end Nkunku's two-year stay at Stamford Bridge.

The move will have wider implications for Chelsea, with negotiations advancing to sign Garnacho.

The Argentina international, 21, has not played for United this season and is one of several players at the club who has been training away from the main group.

No fee has yet been agreed between the two clubs but BBC Sport has been told by sources that a deal is close.

Meanwhile, striker Nicolas Jackson is also in talks over an initial loan move to Bayern Munich, which could include an obligation to buy.

The sale of Nkunku also means Chelsea can boast about making a profit in the transfer market, raising an estimated £309m once add-ons are included to balance about £277m in player purchases - however, that would rise if the Garnacho deal went through.

Player sales are important to Chelsea this summer because of Uefa sanctions which included a fine of 31m euros (£26.7m), but also a requirement to maintain a "positive transfer balance" in this window to register new signings for the Champions League.

Nkunku scored 18 goals and got five assists in 62 matches for Chelsea, after joining from RB Leipzig for about £52m in 2023.

The France international leaves having played a significant role in Chelsea winning the Club World Cup and Conference League this year.

Chelsea's record-breaking summer sale

The imminent transfer of Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan for an initial £32m means that Chelsea have now banked at least £263.2m – minus add-ons and future fees - which is a Premier League record for player sales in a summer window.

The Blues had already surpassed their previous highest total of £215.9m – which was set in 2023 – prior to the confirmation of Nkunku's departure.

Noni Madueke's move to Arsenal is the club's most expensive sale so far, with the 23-year old's initial £48.5m fee accounting for 17.6% of Chelsea's 2025 summer income.

Three of the top four totals have come during this busy window, with Liverpool offloading a raft of players including Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, and Bournemouth selling the majority of last season's defence and most recently Dango Ouattara to Brentford.