Manchester United report: Transfer target pens new deal - but there's still hope for Red Devils

Christopher Nkunku
(Image credit: PA)

Manchester United are set to miss out on one of their transfer targets after RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku signed a new contract with the German club.  

Leipzig announced on Thursday morning that the France international has agreed fresh terms until 2026, a two-year extension on his previous deal.  

Nkunku caught the eye of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool after a sensational 2021/22 season where he scored 35 goals in all competitions.

However, all hope isn’t lost for his English suitors, as Sky Germany reports that the new deal includes a €60 million (£52m) release clause.

Although Nkunku is very unlikely to move on this summer, the 24-year-old will therefore be available for a set price in the future. 

The former PSG forward lit up the Bundesliga last term, and his combined goal and assist total of 54 was a new club record.

He was named Bundesliga player of the season after helping Leipzig secure Champions League qualification with a fourth-place finish, and won the DFB-Pokal.

“After our great achievement in winning the DFB-Pokal, it remained clear that my story here isn’t over yet – we want more,” Nkunku told the Leipzig website.

“I was really impressed with the club’s efforts to keep me, so a big thanks goes to those responsible for the trust in me and especially to Oliver Mintzlaff, with whom I was always in close contact.

“RB Leipzig have made a name for themselves on the international stage in recent years and have shown time and again that we can compete for titles. We want to build on that going forward and go one step further.”

Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.