Better than Bellingham: Why Man Utd are hot on RB Leipzig star Nkunku
Robin Bairner
- 14 Feb 2022 20:12 GMT
- 3 min read
Christophe Nkunku is the latest name on Manchester United’s summer shopping list, with the RB Leipzig star having caught the eye this season.
Having come through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system, he departed for Leipzig in 2019 with the intention of gaining more first-team football, and he has certainly done that.
The 24-year-old Nkunku has excelled for Leipzig in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season, and it should come as little surprise that big clubs are watching him.
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Arsenal and Real Madrid have previously been linked with the sprightly Frenchman, and now ESPN reports that Manchester United also hold an interest in him.
What is it, though, that makes Nkunku such an attractive player?
Nkunku's incredible form
Even a cursory glance at his statistics suggests that Nkunku is having a special season. In 22 Bundesliga games, he has 11 goals and 11 assists, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Despite Leipzig’s Champions League elimination, the Parisian chalked up seven goals and three assists from midfield. Moreover, in his four fixtures against PSG and Manchester City, he got four goals and one decisive pass, proving he is not a flat-track bully.
Data analytics company SciSports, meanwhile, rates Nkunku’s Bundesliga performances this season as second best among wingers. Indeed, he is outperforming Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Serge Gnabry of Bayern Munich. He is only trailing the bang-in-form Leroy Sane.
His passing particularly stands out as his strongest trait. Not only does he show craft around the box, his range of passing is also formidable. Combined with his versatility and proven scoring ability, he has proven himself to an invaluable asset to Leipzig.
Although he does not score so highly defensively, interim Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick, who is to step up as sporting director at the end of the season, knows the work ethic of the attacker and also what his potential is.
Nkunku might not be the Bundesliga’s most celebrated star, but he is enjoying a fine season and Man Utd would be foolish if they were not studying him.
Read more about: Bundesliga, Premier League, Man Utd, RB Leipzig, Christopher Nkunku, Jude Bellingham
