Real Madrid: 3 surprise transfers that could tempt Florentino Perez
RB Leipzig AM/FW Christopher Nkunku
As tempting as it was to go with a more established name like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Bernardo Silva, Robert Lewandowski or Matthijs de Ligt, Real Madrid may not be into these players, with the possible exception of Silva.
Real Madrid want to sign younger players on the market, and, right now, there are few young players on more of a tear than Christopher Nkunku of RB Leipzig.
Nkunku has been this team’s best player since the 2019-20 season. Yes, he was better than Timo Werner then, and he is very clearly better than the German international now. His creativity and unselfishness helped Werner have a career year in his final season in the Bundesliga, and now it is Nkunku’s turn to put up mind-blowing numbers – stats that put even the pacy Werner to shame.
The 24-year-old French international is rapidly approaching his peak, playing world-class football for a Leipzig side that is finally showing signs of playing to its potential in 2021-22. And Nkunku is always at the heart of what is good about this team. Even in games in which they don’t play well, such as a recent 1-0 win over a Bochum side that recently put four past Bayern, it is Nkunku who comes up big.
He has made multiple starts at five different positions and can conceivably play any position in the attack and any position other than DM in the midfield.
Nkunku is the new wave of playmakers. He carries the ball, he creates, he dribbles, he assists, and he scores. With 14 goals and 7 assists this season, Nkunku is stating the case that he is one of the best players in the Bundesliga. When accounting for his importance to the team and everything he does in addition to the goals, Nkunku has a serious Player of the Year case, though Lewandowski may seem unbeatable at the top.
Florentino Perez may view the likes of Salah, Paul Pogba, and Lewandowski as more marketable, but they are more expensive. They are also older.
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Nkunku comes with less cost, less risk, and arguably just as much production as anyone. He is a name who is going to become hotter on the transfer market, especially as the more hyped names like Florian Wirtz get priced out of Real Madrid’s comfort zone.