Manchester United are targeting a move for Christopher Nkunku after Ralf Rangnick was left stunned that the club didn't have the RB Leipzig star on their radar.
The Frenchman is lighting up the Bundesliga this season, scoring 27 times in 43 appearances, including an impressive hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League earlier in the campaign. Nkunku was called up to the France squad for a double header against Ivory Coast and South Africa last month with Didier Deschamps tempted to use the 24-year-old at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.
The forward has attracted attention from several European clubs including United given Rangnick's previous relationship with the former Paris Saint-Germain youngster. The Old Trafford interim boss was Red Bull's head of sport and development when Leipzig signed Nkunku in the summer of 2019.
Rangnick wanted to look into the possibility of signing Nkunku in January shortly after arriving in Manchester United but that didn't materialise due to a major blunder by the scouting department. The 63-year-old asked for information on Nkunku but he was left shocked when they told him that they were not tracking the player who he believes is "the best young player in Germany, according to ESPN.
The German has eventually got his way however as he looks to help United start a major rebuild in the summer, taking a consultancy role following his brief period in the dugout. Nkunku is on United's shortlist for the upcoming transfer window and there have already been internal talks about the player, reports Sky Sport in Germany.
The report states that Rangnick is a huge admirer of the attacker and United are considering signing him. Nkunku's contract expires in the summer of 2024 with ESPN reporting last week that Leipzig will listen to offers in and around the £63milliom mark.
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United are set for a mass exodus in the summer and Nkunku is an example of the club trying to get business over the line as early as possible. The Red Devils are also on the lookout for a new manager with an offer tabled to Erik ten Hag, but he has yet to accept their proposal.
The Ajax boss is worried about how much control he'll have in the transfer market as he wants to have a say in recruitment this summer. It's claimed United are willing to grant his wish however as he is their preferred candidate to replace Rangnick.
