Christopher Nkunku Eyes Return to RB Leipzig Over Newcastle

Christopher Nkunku is edging towards a familiar door rather than a new one.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the French forward wants to go back to RB Leipzig instead of accepting a move to Newcastle United, with Milan open to letting him leave on loan with an option to buy.

Leipzig in front, Newcastle trailing

Both Leipzig and Newcastle have been in talks with Milan, but the race is already stretched out. Gazzetta’s Milan reporter Luca Bianchin reports that the Magpies sit “well behind” the Bundesliga club in the battle for the former Chelsea attacker.

Nkunku knows Leipzig inside out. He shone there between 2019 and 2023, built his reputation in the Bundesliga, and earned his big move to Chelsea from that stage. The pull of a return to a club where he thrived is clear.

At Milan, the story never truly caught fire.

Signed from Chelsea a year ago in a deal worth €37m plus add-ons, Nkunku produced eight goals in 35 competitive appearances in his first season at San Siro. Decent numbers, but not the explosive impact many in Milan had hoped for from such a significant investment.

Ruben Amorim, preparing his plans for next season, does not see Nkunku as a central piece. That stance has opened the door for negotiations and pushed the player closer to the exit.

Loan deal taking shape

The pressure around his future has built quickly, and now the outlines of a solution are clear.

Milan and RB Leipzig are expected to finalise a loan agreement with an option to buy in the coming days. The German club would cover Nkunku’s €5m salary for the 2026-27 season, a key detail that smooths the way for all parties.

Newcastle remain in the background, but unless something dramatic changes, this looks like a reunion rather than a Premier League reboot.

For Nkunku, the next chapter seems set to be written where he once played his best football: back in Leipzig, with the chance to rediscover the form that made Europe take notice in the first place.