Christopher Nkunku was one of the most sought-after players across Europe this summer. The Frenchman was ridiculously good last season with RB Leipzig and so had numerous suitors. Manchester United and Tottenham were two of which but, as per Fabrizio Romano, he will not be joining either following the signing of a new contract.
Official and confirmed. Christopher Nkunku extends his contract with RB Leipzig until June 2026, deal now signed and sealed. 🚨🔒 #Leipzig
There’s a release clause included in the new deal for €60m. pic.twitter.com/mjZMyrs85s
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 23, 2022
Manchester United and Tottenham Snubbed by Christopher Nkunku
Just How Close Did Manchester United and Tottenham Come?
In and around the Premier League, transfer rumours are non-stop, no matter how ridiculous some of them may be. Manchester United and Tottenham swooping for Christopher Nkunku made a lot of sense though and they were in a race alongside teams such as Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
Loyalties remained in place in Germany with this new deal being finalised. “There’s a release clause included in the new deal for €60 million”, Romano claims, which is surprisingly low given his prowess last year.
Nkunku was previously a PSG player and he spoke on his desire to make a return to the French capital at some point. He has now a regular fixture in the national team under Didier Deschamps and so he truly is being thrust into that elite level. Leipzig are a Champions League team but it seems hard to deny that these sorts of moves would be a step up.
Read More: Manchester United Target Christopher Nkunku Reveals Major Update on His Preferred Destination
The likes of Manchester United and Tottenham are going to have to wait if they do want to bring Nkunku in though following the signing of this new contract.
In both the Bundesliga and the Europa League, the 24-year-old put up 28 goals and 13 assists in roughly 3,200 minutes, which are mind-blowing figures in truth. He may well have been the biggest performer in the 2021/22 season with mouth-watering numbers like those.
A Real Coup for RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig may have failed to get the job done in the Europa League, but it was still a superb season for them. Since Domenico Tedesco took over at the helm of the club, they were one of the form teams on the continent and a title push could well be on the cards next season. Nkunku was at the fore of this and so it seemed fairly likely that he would make a move.
Read More: ‘There’s No Going Back’: Manchester United Handed Major Boost in Pursuit of ‘Special’ Target
Manchester United and Tottenham were unable to lure him in and the same goes for a number of other huge clubs. The faith from the club into the player was repaid as he has just signed a new deal with the club. After losing key players such as Ibrahim Konate and Dayot Upamecano last summer, if they can fend off interest this time around, that would be quite something. Along with Nkunku, the likes of Tyler Adams, Josko Gvardiol and Andre Silva have all been spoken about when it comes to sales.
Nkunku staying put is massive for both Leipzig and the Bundesliga whilst Manchester United and Tottenham will have to look elsewhere if they want to sign a dynamic, elite forward.
