Man Utd and Arsenal handed huge blow in Nkunku pursuit
Cameron Smith
- 22 Apr 2022 10:10 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United and Arsenal have been hit with a sucker punch in their pursuit of RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku.
The French forward has risen to prominence in a more advanced position this season and his form has caught the eye of both Premier League giants, as well as the likes of AC Milan.
Liverpool are also reportedly interested according to ESPN, while Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and his former club Paris Saint-Germain all remain keen on the player.
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With Leipzig set to finish in the Champions League places this season, Nkunku has reason to stay at the club and given their recent upward trajectory under Domenico Tedesco, following a poor start under current Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch, he may be tempted to stay.
Bayern Munich faltered in the Champions League and there is belief that Leipzig could push for the Bundesliga title next year.
Of course, Nkunku is set to have plenty of offers this summer, but he may look to stay at Leipzig for another season in order to further develop his game.
Bayern themselves are said to be interested, but any move this summer has been shut down by RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff to the despair of Europe's biggest clubs.
Mintzlaff has insisted that Nkunku is going nowhere this summer and that any links with a move away won't result in anything substantial. With Nkunku's contract expiring in 2024, Leipzig are under no immediate pressure to sell and Mintzlaff is adamant the player won't be leaving ahead of next season.
He told ARD: "I've said it many times, and I'm happy to say it again: Nkunku will still be our player in the coming season."
His comment will come as a blow for both Man Utd and Arsenal, among others, who had hoped to seal a move for Nkunku this summer. The Frenchman has proven his versatility in recent seasons by moving from a creative midfielder to a winger to a central striker, with every position change resulting in improved performance.
However, Mintzlaff did admit to Sky Sports Germany that "in football, nobody is basically unsaleable," although he followed that up by adding: "He was already one of our best players in the first half of the season, even though it didn't go well for us, as we all know.
"He has ignited the next stage of his development here under Domenico Tedesco, and he will continue to do so in the coming season."
Why do Man Utd and Arsenal want Nkunku?
First of all, both clubs are in somewhat of a forward crisis. Arsenal will be without a single senior recognised striker next season as things stand, with both Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah out of contract, and Nkunku is one of their reported targets.
The likes of Jonathan David, Darwin Nunez and Alexander Isak are also on Mikel Arteta's wishlist, but Nkunku has performed the best out of this options this season.
Man Utd are also heavily interested given the summer rebuild set to be conducted under Erik ten Hag. As many as 10 players could arrive through the door, and with Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard among the stars who could leave, forwards are needed.
The age of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani also suggests a striker will be signed, which has fuelled links to Nkunku.
Nkunku's form is also a major factor. The Frenchman incredibly has 30 goals and 20 assists in all competitions this season, which is more than Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has managed.
He has also guided Leipzig to a Europa League semi-final and the DFB-Pokal final as they hunt two trophies to add to their cabinet this season.
