Manchester United have reportedly included Christopher Nkunku to their transfer want list after interim manager Ralf Rangnick encouraged the club to pursue the RB Leipzig midfielder more ambitiously. Scouts of the Red Devils have been told to increase focus on the player with a summer move said to be on the cards.
With a permanent manager yet to be appointed by Manchester United, the signing of a midfielder is also said to be on the club's priority list. Although Ralf Rangnick's six-month contract is expected to expire at the end of the season, the 63-year-old coach is expected to take on a consultancy role afterward, and will have a direct influence on the potential appointment of a new manager as well as recruitment.
French midfielder Paul Pogba could potentially leave Manchester United when his contract expires in the summer and according to ESPN, the Premier League club is looking to replace their academy graduate with Christopher Nkunku following Rangnick's recommendation. The Leipzig star is well admired by the current United boss who played a significant role in his signing from Paris Sain-Germain to the Bundesliga club back in 2019.
While no official contact has been established, reports suggest that the Manchester United scouts in Germany have been told to increase focus on the player. The likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Arsenal are all speculated to be monitoring the player although they could face some resistence in attempts to recruit him. Last week, Leipzig's global head of football, Oliver Mintzlaff, said at that effort will be made to keep the Frenchman at the Red Bull Arena this summer.
"He [Nkunku] will also play with us next season because of course he is a very important player," he told Sky Deutschland. "In football nothing is ever certain, but that's our plan. "We don't have many players who can leave us in the summer. We want to strengthen the team rather than weaken it."
This season, Nkunku has once again be the standout performer for Leipzig, scoring 19 goals in all competitions - including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
