Three months after Kingsley Coman headed home the only goal of the game as Bayern Munich lifted the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain were left red-faced once again by another academy graduate they allowed to walk out the door.
Christopher Nkunku swapped PSG for RB Leipzig in July 2019, to the tune of £14 million.
He has come a long way since then.
During a sensational debut season in Germany, Nkunku produced a staggering 15 assists from his favoured attacking midfield role. A tally that put him within touching distance of Kevin de Bruyne, Jadon Sancho and Lionel Messi as one of the most efficient creators on the continent.
But, while the 22-year-old is at his best when setting up his grateful teammates, he is no stranger to putting the ball in the back of the net himself.
Drilling home a pinpoint effort from the edge of the box, it was he who sparked Leipzig’s stirring comeback in last week’s 2-1 Champions League triumph over his former club.
Yet if Nkunku’s former PSG boss Unai Emery had got his wish, the France U21 star would be playing Europa League football instead right now.
The Standard reported in April 2019 that Emery wanted to reunite with Nkunku at Arsenal, a few months before Leipzig pipped them to the post.
“When he had the opportunity to play, he was well-prepared. He listens to advice. Little by little, he progressed,” Emery told GFFN of a man who first caught his eye in the French capital.
“He has the quality to play in the middle, (he is better there) than on the wing. But he played well on the wing because he did the job we asked of him, and which the team needed.”
Clearly, it was not just Nkunku’s ability but also his attitude that earned him the respect of the former Sevilla and Valencia boss.
Emery might be long gone these days but, according to BILD, Arsenal have not forgotten about PSG’s latest ‘one that got away’. The Gunners could make a new approach in the New Year, although Nkunku will cost a lot more than £14 million these days.
Try £35 million.
Then again, after three defeats in four Premier League games and with no goals from open play in over six hours of Premier League football, a creative midfielder capable of racking up assists at a remarkable rate could be absolutely priceless; the difference between one point and three, the difference between mid-table and a European place.
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