Christopher Nkunku reportedly turned down interest from Manchester United and Newcastle United in favour of an emotional return to RB Leipzig this summer.
The former Chelsea forward had been made available by AC Milan after falling out of the first-team picture under Ruben Amorim.
That sparked interest from several Premier League clubs, but Nkunku ultimately chose familiarity over another move to England, returning to the Bundesliga club where he previously produced some of the best football of his career.
Nkunku rejected move to Man United
According to Bild, Leipzig sporting chief Marcel Schäfer repeatedly pushed to bring Nkunku back throughout the summer and eventually secured his return on a season-long loan.
The deal includes a €28m (£24m) option to buy, while Milan are also covering part of the France international’s wages.
The German report claims two Premier League clubs were prepared to push hard for Nkunku, with Manchester United and Newcastle both understood to have shown serious interest.
Sky Germany also reported that Newcastle attempted to hijack the transfer late on, but Nkunku had already made up his mind about returning to Leipzig.
Sky Sport Germany stated that the 28-year-old was determined to rejoin his former club and that Leipzig secured him for a loan fee of around €3m.
Nkunku previously scored 70 goals and provided 56 assists in 172 appearances during his first spell with Leipzig.
United missed an opportunity to sign the attacker
Man United’s interest made sense.
Nkunku can play centrally, from either wing or behind a striker, giving Michael Carrick a flexible attacking option capable of covering several roles.
However, his decision is understandable.
His spells at Chelsea and Milan never truly allowed him to reproduce the consistency he showed in Germany, partly because of injuries and changing tactical situations.
Returning to Leipzig gives him familiarity, trust and a system that already understands his strengths.
For United, missing out is hardly disastrous. They already possess several attacking options and may prefer to invest heavily in other areas.
For Nkunku, though, this feels like a career-reset move.
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