Bundesliga Golden Boot winner struggles in the Premier League, now scoreless with 1 assist in 9 Serie A matches; AC Milan’s €37 million investment looks wasted.

Certain clubs in the big five leagues specialize in boosting stats to produce attractive figures for their players, then sell them at high transfer fees. Yet, some players’ actual talent is mediocre, among them the former Bundesliga top scorerNkunkuwho had a poor spell in the Premier League and is still struggling to find the net this Serie A season.

In the third round of the Coppa Italia, AC Milan lost 0-1 to Lazio and were knocked out. In this match, Milan’s new signing Nkunku came on as a substitute in the 64th minute, playing 26 minutes with 6 touches, 5 passes, 2 turnovers, 1 aerial duel lost, failing to make an impact or contribute to any goals once again.

Nkunku came through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth academy and transferred from PSG to Leipzig in the summer of 2019 for €19.5 million. In the summer of 2023, carrying the prestige of being the Bundesliga’s top scorer, he moved from Leipzig to Chelsea for €60 million. At that time, his market value on Transfermarkt was as high as €80 million. This summer, Nkunku transferred from Chelsea to AC Milan for€37 millionto seek more playing time and regain form. His career stats include 78 appearances with 11 goals and 4 assists at PSG; 172 appearances with 70 goals and 56 assists at Leipzig; and 62 appearances with 18 goals and 5 assists at Chelsea.

Now 28 years old, Nkunku stands 1.77 meters tall, is right-footed, and can play as a striker, attacking midfielder, or left winger. His contract with Milan runs until 2030, with a Transfermarkt valuation of €35 million. Since joining Milan, he has appeared 9 times in Serie A, starting 3 matches, totaling 345 minutes with 0 goals and 1 assist; in the Coppa Italia, he has played twice (once as starter, once as substitute), totaling 87 minutes and scoring 1 goal.

Nkunku was the Bundesliga top scorer in the 2022-23 season, netting 16 goals and 5 assists in 25 matches. However, he failed to secure a starting role at Chelsea and still struggles to establish himself at AC Milan. While €37 million is a minor expense for Premier League clubs, it is a significant investment for a Serie A team. It appears Milan has bought disappointment, with the €37 million likely wasted. Nkunku is unlikely to return to the form and scoring efficiency he showed at Leipzig.