Christopher Nkunku will stay at RB Leipzig this summer despite reported interest from Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool, the Bundesliga club’s CEO Oliver Mintzlaff tells Sky Deutschland.
With Mo Salah casting serious doubt on his future at Anfield as he closes in on the final 12 months of his contract, Leipzig’s hardline stance on their free-scoring France international presents another problem for Jurgen Klopp and co.
There aren’t many footballers on planet earth who would be capable of stepping into Salah’s shoes. But Nkunku, linked with Liverpool via ESPN, is one of the few who could.
With 30 goals this season, the former PSG starlet has actually scored more than Liverpool’s irrepressible number 11 in 2021/22. What’s more, he has another 20 assists to his name.
Those statistics are certainly worth repeating. 30 goals, 20 assists. Numbers even a young Lionel Messi would be proud of.
Is Christopher Nkunku now a world-class footballer?
“I’ve said it many times and I like to say it again here; Nkunku will be our player again next season,” Mintzlaff says.
“He was one of our best players in the first half of the season, even if it didn’t go so well as we know. Under (Jesse Marsch’s replacement) Domenico Tedesco, he sparked the next stage of development and will continue to do that in the coming season.”
Arsenal are long-time admirers of the twinkle-toed Nkunku.
Unai Emery attempted to bring his former Paris Saint-Germain youngster to the Emirates Stadium a couple of years ago, only to end up with Denis Suarez instead.
It’s fair to say Arsenal supporters will not look back on the winter of 2019 with much fondness, after one of the most in-form forwards in world football slipping through their grasp to the tune of around £18 million.
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“Christopher has no weaknesses. He is young and still wants a lot more,” former Leizpig and now Leeds coach Jesse Marsch tells Goal.
“It’s always a good thing when a young player listens to the things we say and also wants to implement them. Working with him is a lot of fun as he is really intelligent and has a lot of potential.”
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