Leipzig reunion offers Nkunku route back to his best
Christopher Nkunku reportedly rejected Manchester United in favour of a season-long return to RB Leipzig, with the 28-year-old forward turning down two Premier League clubs to leave AC Milan.
United had gone looking for firepower this summer with Joshua Zirkzee’s future uncertain, and their attention turned to Nkunku as a potential solution. That pursuit went nowhere, and the Frenchman instead sealed a loan switch back to the Red Bull Arena, with Leipzig holding a €28 million option to sign him permanently next year.
It is another Leipzig-related story with United overtones, coming not long after the Reds were credited with interest in David Raum.
What BILD’s report says
According to BILD, Leipzig managing director Marcel Schäfer credited the player’s own resolve for the move going through, describing two Premier League clubs as willing to go to considerable lengths to sign him. BILD named those clubs as Newcastle United and Manchester United, adding that Nkunku turned both down because he only wanted Leipzig.
A familiar club, a difficult few years
Nkunku first made his name at Leipzig after arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, spending four years there before Chelsea signed him in the summer of 2023. A pre-season injury delayed his Stamford Bridge debut until December that year, and he never quite settled, managing 18 goals and five assists in 62 appearances before leaving for AC Milan in 2025.
His spell at the San Siro fared little better, with 35 appearances yielding eight goals and three assists. United, meanwhile, had invested over £200 million in attacking reinforcements the previous summer and finished third in the Premier League, securing Champions League football for a fixture-congested 2026/27 campaign.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| RB Leipzig | 174 | 70 | 57 |
| Chelsea | 62 | 18 | 5 |
| AC Milan | 35 | 8 | 3 |
Stats via Transfermarkt, as cited in the original report.
United left to look elsewhere
Newcastle’s involvement shows United were not alone in the chase, but neither club’s resources swayed Nkunku once Leipzig came calling. The Red Devils’ interest in the wider striker market will presumably continue regardless.
For Nkunku, the €28 million option gives Leipzig a clear incentive to make the move permanent if he rediscovers the form that made him a Bundesliga star before his move to England. Whether he can do that after two difficult years elsewhere remains to be seen.
