Christopher Nkunku set to return to RB Leipzig after difficult AC Milan season

RB Leipzig have agreed a deal to bring Christopher Nkunku back from AC Milan, with the 28-year-old forward set to join on loan.

The initial loan fee is reported to be between €3.5m and €4m. The agreement is also understood to include an option for RB Leipzig to sign Nkunku permanently for a fee in the region of €28m to €30m.

The move would end what is expected to be a one-season stay in Italy for Nkunku, who has been deemed surplus to requirements by AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim after an underwhelming campaign at San Siro.

Nkunku made 40 appearances for AC Milan during the 2025-26 season, scoring eight goals and supplying three assists. However, his playing time became more limited when Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao were available to the Milan manager.

A return to RB Leipzig offers Nkunku the chance to revive the form that established him as one of Europe’s most sought-after attacking players during his first spell with the Bundesliga club.

The France international joined RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 and quickly became a central figure in the team. Across 172 appearances for the German side, he scored 70 goals.

Those performances led Chelsea to complete a €60m move for Nkunku in 2023. His time in England was affected by injuries and the difficulties of adapting to the Premier League, and he finished his Chelsea career with 18 goals in 62 games.

AC Milan signed Nkunku from Chelsea in 2025 for a fee reported to be between €37m and €40m. Despite that investment, his time at the Italian club looks set to last only one season before he returns to the Bundesliga.

The proposed move would take Nkunku back to the club where he produced the most productive period of his senior career. RB Leipzig will initially have him on loan, while the option to make the transfer permanent gives them the possibility of securing his long-term return.

For Nkunku, the switch represents an opportunity to regain regular involvement and recapture the level of performances that previously made him a highly valued attacking player across Europe. His first spell at RB Leipzig established his reputation, while his subsequent periods at Chelsea and AC Milan have been disrupted by injuries, adaptation difficulties and reduced opportunities.

The deal therefore gives the forward a route back to familiar surroundings, while RB Leipzig have secured the chance to assess him again before deciding whether to pay the reported permanent-transfer fee of €28m to €30m.