Christopher Nkunku Set for RB Leipzig Return as Newcastle Lags Behind

Christopher Nkunku is closing in on a return to familiar ground at RB Leipzig, with Newcastle United left trailing in the race for the Milan forward.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the French striker has made clear he favours a move back to the Bundesliga club where he shone between 2019 and 2023, rather than a switch to the Premier League with Newcastle. Milan, for their part, are ready to let him go on loan with an option to buy.

Leipzig in pole, Newcastle lagging

Both Leipzig and Newcastle have been in talks with Milan over the 26-year-old, who is not in Ruben Amorim’s plans for next season. The negotiations have moved at different speeds, though. Gazzetta’s Milan correspondent Luca Bianchin reports that the Magpies are “well behind” Leipzig in the chase for the ex-Chelsea forward.

Nkunku has only been at San Siro for a single campaign after arriving from Chelsea last summer in a deal worth €37m plus add-ons. The move never truly caught fire. He finished the season with eight goals in 35 competitive appearances, a modest return for that outlay and for a player expected to be a central attacking reference.

Deal structure taking shape

The outlines of the agreement are already emerging. Milan and Leipzig are expected to finalise a loan with an option to buy in the coming days. Leipzig would cover Nkunku’s full €5m salary for the 2026-27 season under the proposed terms.

For Milan, it is a quick reset after a one-year experiment that failed to fully convince. For Leipzig, it is the chance to bring back a forward who once lit up the Red Bull Arena and, if all goes to plan, to do it on terms that could turn a short reunion into a permanent return.