Christopher Nkunku is back in the Bundesliga after his season-long loan move to RB Leipzig from AC Milan was confirmed on Tuesday.
Nkunku returns to Leipzig on loan from AC Milan
Three years after leaving for Chelsea, Christopher Nkunku is back at RB Leipzig after his loan move from AC Milan was finalised on Tuesday.
Nkunku, who played for Leipzig between 2019 and 2023 before joining Chelsea, has returned to the club he made his name at after just one season in Serie A.
It has been reported that the deal is worth an initial €4m for the loan, with the option to buy set at €28m should Leipzig exercise it at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
The 28-year-old struggled to make an impact in Milan, managing just eight goals and three assists in 35 appearances across all competitions, with 17 of those being starts.
Nkunku was not in the squad for Milan's season-opening win over Torino on Sunday after being deemed surplus to requirements by new Rossoneri boss Ruben Amorim.
"When the opportunity to move to RB Leipzig arose, I really wanted to take this opportunity," Nkunu told the club's website of his return to Leipzig.
"I'm really happy to be back here, I'm in top shape, I want to help the team directly, and I can't wait to be back on the pitch in front of our fans at the Red Bull Arena.
"My connection to Leipzig is a special one. Even after my transfer, I always followed exactly what was happening at the Red Bulls, and I'm ready to write another chapter at RBL.
"In the conversations, I felt from the beginning how much the people in charge here still appreciate me and how much trust they have in me.
"For me, Leipzig is therefore exactly the right place to show my best performances."
Nkunku returns to Leipzig three years after leaving for Chelsea, and he will be hoping to get back to the form that made him one of the top strikers in the Bundesliga at that time.
He registered 115 goal involvements (70 goals, 45 assists) in his 172 appearances for Leipzig across all competitions, a total only bettered by Erling Haaland, Thomas Muller (both 127) and Robert Lewandowski (183) among Bundesliga players during that time.
"We are very happy that Christo is back with us. He has already shown in Leipzig what exceptional quality he brings to the table and that he can decide games," Leipzig's managing director of sport, Marcel Schafer, said.
"He knows the club, the city and the environment and will give us additional options with his flexibility in attack.
We were particularly pleased to see how clearly Christo expressed his desire to play for RB Leipzig again.
"Despite the interest of other top European clubs, he was desperate to return. That shows his special connection to our club."
Leipzig finished third in the Bundesliga last season and begin their 2026-27 league campaign this Saturday at home to Borussia Monchengladbach.
