Manchester United target Christopher Nkunku has reported ‘decided to leave’ current club RB Leipzig this summer, but matters may be complicated by previous comments made by his club’s CEO and the fee that could be demanded.
Manchester United are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements this summer, with Cristiano Ronaldo now 37 years old, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani both set to leave for nothing at the end of the season, and question marks over the futures of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial .
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 23: Jesse Lingard of Man Utd during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on April 23, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
With incoming boss Erik Ten Hag favoring a system similar to the high-press offered by RB Leipzig, and Ralf Rangnick’s connections with the club, a move for Nkunku makes sense even before his impressive season is considered.
The Frenchman, who made his national team debut this season, has scored 31 goals and provided 20 assists in 48 games across all competitions for his side, while his versatility has seen him play on either wing, as a number 10, or as a striker .
And, as per L’Equipe, the former PSG man has decided this summer is the one to move on in, with the French outlet claiming that ‘his decision isn’t based on RBL’s inability to challenge for trophies, but more on a desire to play with and against the European game’s best players on a weekly basis.’
Nkunku forced to stay?
Questions do arise from this however, not least the claim from the club hierarchy last month that he would be a RB Leipzig player next season. As per the same report,’ the club want to challenge for the Bundesliga and plan to invest heavily this summer, building their project around the former PSG player – who is under contract until 2024. Even an offer of €100m might not be accepted’ .
Meanwhile, German outlet Bild suggests that even if the demanded fee is met, it could be a difficult deal to get over the line. They suggest that because his two national team caps don’t qualify him as a top foreigner, meaning that there would need to be approval from the Premier League governing body.
Additionally, there are question marks over just how secure his position in Didier Deschamp’s French squad is, and whether a move to Manchester United just three months before a World Cup would boost or hinder his progress for Blues. Looking at the plight of Jadon Sancho, it could well be the latter.
It could be one that drags on all summer long.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City | 34 | 63 | 83 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 34 | 64 | 82 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 34 | 39 | 66 |
| 4 | Arsenal FC | 34 | 13 | 63 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 20 | 61 |
| 6 | Manchester United | 36 | 5 | 58 |
| 7 | West Ham United | 35 | 7 | 52 |
| 8 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 34 | 1 | 49 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 35 | -8 | 44 |
| 10 | Newcastle United | 35 | -16 | 43 |
| 11 | Leicester City | 33 | -6 | 42 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 34 | 3 | 41 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 33 | -2 | 40 |
| 14 | Brentford FC | 35 | -11 | 40 |
| 15th | Southampton FC | 35 | -17 | 40 |
| 16 | Burnley FC | 34 | -15th | 34 |
| 17 | Leeds United | 34 | -34 | 34 |
| 18 | Everton FC | 33 | -20 | 32 |
| 19 | Watford FC | 34 | -37 | 22 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 34 | -49 | 21 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 22 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 19 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 18 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 15th |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 14 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 |
| Tony, Ivan | Brentford FC | 12 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace | 12 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City | 11 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 11 |
| Mahrez, Riyad | Manchester City | 11 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 10 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 10 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 10 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 10 |
| Pukki, Teemu | Norwich City | 10 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City | 10 |
| Rafinha | Leeds United | 10 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 10 |
| Smith-Rowe, Emile | Arsenal FC | 10 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bednarek, Jan | Southampton FC | 0 | 10 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 10 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 10 |
| Firpo, Junior | Leeds United | 0 | 10 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 9 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 9 |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 9 |
| Brownhill, Josh | Burnley FC | 0 | 9 |
| Mings, Tyrone | Aston Villa | 0 | 9 |
| Xhaka, Granit | Arsenal FC | 1 | 8 |
| Mctominay, Scott | Manchester United | 0 | 9 |
| Salisu, Mohammed | Southampton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 7 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 1 | 7 |
| Alonso, Marcos | Chelsea FC | 0 | 8 |
| Moreno, Rodrigo | Leeds United | 0 | 8 |
| Cash, Matty | Aston Villa | 0 | 8 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa | 0 | 8 |
| Joelinton | Newcastle United | 0 | 8 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 12 |
| Robertson, Andy | Liverpool FC | 10 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 9 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 9 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 9 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 8 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 8 |
| Kulusevski, Dejan | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 7 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 7 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City | 7 |
| Mbeumo, Bryan | Brentford FC | 7 |
| Cancelo, Joao | Manchester City | 7 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City | 6 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 6 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 6 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 6 |
| Antonio, Michael | West Ham United | 6 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City | 6 |