Why is Christopher Nkunku wanted by Man City and Chelsea?

Stefan Bienkowski

Updated: 18 Apr 2022 15:14 BST
6 min read

Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring of RB Leipzig, 2021/22 — © ProShots

The Bundesliga can lay claim to some of the most impressive forwards in all of world football.

However, once Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski are done hogging the limelight, next in line is undoubtedly RB Leipzig’s own star forward, Christopher Nkunku who is now wanted by some of the biggest clubs in world football.

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Plucked from French football as a relatively unknown quantity, Nkunku has quickly established himself as one of German football’s most versatile attacking players. And after nearly three years at the Saxony club, some of Europe’s biggest sides are beginning to take notice after an incredible 2021/22 season.

What position does Christopher Nkunku play in?

Although Nkunku came through at PSG as something of a central midfielder, he has developed into more of a wide player at RB Leipzig and can now comfortably play on either wing.

The young talent is also perfectly comfortable playing as a No.10 or as a false No.9 up front too, which is the role he's performed recently to such great effect.

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How good is Christopher Nkunku?

Like so many impressive players plying their trade across German football and the wider continental game, Nkunku learned his trade at Paris Saint-Germain and quickly worked his way up the ranks until he was a regular member of the first team.

However, the young star struggled for a starting role at the Parisian club with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in front of him and as such opted for a move to Saxony in 2019 when RB Leipzig offered a reported €13 million for his services.

Since then the young attacking midfielder has been nothing short of tremendous for the Bundesliga side. In his first season at the club, Nkunku averaged five goals and 16 assists in all competitions, or an average of 0.73 goals or assists per 90 minutes.

In his second season with RB Leipzig, Nkunku’s form dipped slightly with just seven goals and 11 assists (0.57 per 90) after a nasty ankle injury and a constant rotation through RB Leipzig’s forward positions took its toll on his consistency.

However, Nkunku has looked back to his best for the club this time around, with an incredible 30 goals and 19 assists in just 44 games so far this season. Which, unsurprisingly, is comfortably his best return for the club to date, which works out to over a goal or assist every game.

Nkunku was talented before this year, but he's exploded onto the world stage this season.

What clubs are interested in Christopher Nkunku?

Due to his links with the club, Nkunku is routinely linked with a return to PSG whenever his form takes an upswing and with Mbappe potentially departing the club this summer, the Leipzig man could certainly be of some use to his former side.

However, it seems far more likely that Nkunku will eventually make a move to England when the time is right for RB Leipzig to sell him. According to Sport-Bild back in November, Manchester City were extremely interested in signing the young forward and contacted representatives to gauge the feasibility of a move.

City joined long-term admirers Arsenal and Chelsea in pursuing Nkunku’s talents, according to the Sun who suggested that Juventus and Real Madrid may also be extremely interested in poaching the RB Leipzig talent.

Since then, Manchester United have begun sniffing around, while Milan's new takeover will see them go on a spending spree that reportedly could included Nkunku, according to La Gazzetto dello Sport.