Ralf Rangnick identifies Christian Nkunku as a Transfer Target

Manchester United have recently been linked to RB Leipzig midfielder Christopher Nkunku with German outlet BILD claiming the Frenchman is valued at €55m.

Date of Birth: 14/11/1997 (24)

Position(s): Attacking Midfielder, Left Winger

Strong Foot: Right

Height: 1,75 m (5ft 8in)

Who is he?

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Christopher Nkunku is a 24-year-old attacking midfielder currently plying his trade at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig. The Frenchman started his career at Paris Saint-Germain where he worked his way up the ranks and made 78 first-team appearances, scoring 11 times. He then made the switch to Leipzig in the summer of 2019 for a fee in the region of €13m. Nkunku has been a revelation at Leipzig and has become one of their most important players. He’s made 115 appearances and has registered 31 goals and 40 assists.

With Nkunku taking his game to another level this season, he’s been linked to Manchester United. A report from ESPN journalist Mark Ogden claims that the Red Devils have added Nkunku to their list of summer targets after Rangnick urged the club to step up their interest in the Frenchman. BILD claim that Olivier Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s Head of Soccer, has known for a long time that United are keen on the midfielder and that he’s valued at €55 million.

Strengths

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One of Nkunku’s biggest strengths is his versatility. The Frenchman has spent most of his career predominantly as an attacking midfielder but has been deployed a lot as a left-winger this season. He can also play as a central midfielder, right-winger and centre-forward. His creative output is very impressive. His creative output is extremely good. He averages 2 key passes per 90 in the Bundesliga this season and has created 13 big chances in all competitions this season. He also averages 4.74 shot-creating actions in the last year. He’s also a fantastic crosser and corner taker. United could definitely use someone like that with the reds yet to register a goal from a corner in the Premier League this season. Nkunku also possesses brilliant passing ability and has a pass completion rate of almost 85% this season in all competitions. His decision making is also an impressive attribute to his game.

Nkunku has added a lot more goals to his game this season. While he only managed 6 goals and 7 assists last season in the Bundesliga, his stats this season are unbelievable. He’s registered 19 goals and 13 assists in just 31 appearances in all competitions. That’s a total of 32 goal contributions in 31 games and it’s only February.

Weaknesses

Nkunku doesn’t have many major weaknesses to his game. While it could’ve been argued a season or two ago that the Frenchman needed to improve his finishing, Nkunku has certainly done that this season.

Where would he fit in at United?

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While United have been linked to Nkunku recently, it’s unclear exactly where he would fit in at the club. He’s predominantly an attacking midfielder and left winger and those are two positions on the pitch where most people would agree United don’t have many problems. Bruno Fernandes has solidified his position in the no.10 role at Manchester United since joining the reds in January 2020. While he hasn’t been as good this season as he was in his first 18 months at the club, he’s still registered 8 goals and 12 assists. Regarding the left-wing, while Marcus Rashford has struggled massively this season, Jadon Sancho’s recent performances on the left flank have been quite impressive.

Verdict

While Nkunku would be a good signing, United have far bigger issues to address this summer with the defensive midfield position being the biggest problem in the squad at the moment. According to Fabrizio Romano, United will also sign a striker this summer with Rangnick himself saying that it’s obvious United need to sign a young forward in the summer with Edinson Cavani set to depart when his contract expires in June. According to the BBC, Lautaro Martinez, Alexander Isak and Patrick Schick are all potential options to fill that role.

With that being said though, with there being a chance United could potentially lose Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek and Jesse Lingard this summer. Nkunku could be a very good signing to help replace the trio.