The Japan Times - Nkunku craving freedom and fun on RB Leipzig return

The 28-year-old Nkunku returns to Germany, hoping to spark a stalled career that at one point looked to be among football's most promising.

But besides re-establishing himself as a dangerous and versatile attacking presence, which made him a mainstay of the French national side, Nkunku said he wants to find the fun in football once more.

"I think at the moment I need to enjoy football again," Nkunku told AFP and other media in Leipzig.

"To just think about football and playing games. Also to take pleasure on the pitch and do what I want to do."

- 'The coach had a different idea' -

Joining from boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, Nkunku was part of the Leipzig side which made it to the semi-finals of the 2020 Champions League.

Nkunku scored in both finals as Leipzig won back-to-back German Cups in 2022 and 2023, to date the Red Bull-backed club's only major silverware.

In 2022, he was named Germany's PFA footballer of the year, the Bundesliga player of the season and won a spot on the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

He also won a France call-up, playing every match until a pre-tournament knee injury dashed his Qatar World Cup hopes.

His form led to a big-money move to the Premier League in 2023.

But at Chelsea, Nkunku was unable to establish himself as a starter in a congested squad, with injuries and coaching instability undermining his progress.

"It was about timing, just about timing," Nkunku said.

After a knee injury requiring a first-ever surgery, Nkunku waited five months to make his Chelsea debut, but admitted he rushed back.

"I wanted to come back fast and I did not listen to my body," he said. "After that, I had a lot of small injuries, like muscle or ankle injuries."

Ahead of Nkunku's second season, Chelsea appointed Enzo Maresca, known for a hardline adherence to structure.

"I had a good pre-season. But I think the coach at that moment had a different idea. And you need to accept that," Nkunku said.

"He preferred to play other players or put me in another position. I said maybe I can play another position, but he's the boss, so he decided."

- Ambition: Zidane -

Nkunku's time at Chelsea ended after two seasons with a move to AC Milan.

It should have been a fresh start, but he again struggled to shine within the confines of a rigid set-up, managing only eight goals and laying on three assists in 35 games.

"In Italy, the teams play not to concede goals," he recounted. "It's more defensive. If the team scores a first one, they don't think about scoring a second... You need to stay behind, protect your goal."

Nkunku said he "did not hesitate" when offered a Leipzig return, joining on a season-long loan with a buy option.

Nkunku was given a warm reception in his first match, where he set up a goal moments after coming on, but the club are realistic in their expectations.

"His quality, his character, that's what we're missing at the moment," Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schaefer told AFP and other media.

"I don't expect he needs to be player of the season again -- I wish he will be -- but it's not my expectation."

Nkunku admits to being a "reserved guy", but pledged to be a leader in Leipzig's young dressing room.

"Now it's a moment for me to share because the young generation need to understand playing at a high level and I need to help," he said.

He revealed his major personal goal is to return to the France squad where he would hope to improve even further under the tutelage of Zinedine Zidane.

"Zidane was an offensive player. When he will tell you something, you will listen," Nkunku said.

"Because he knows what he will tell you. He didn't learn it, he lived it."

T.Sato--JT