6 days ago
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Christopher Nkunku is getting ready to lead the line for AC Milan again tonight against Pisa, and he finally seems to be firing.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, it is not an unusual story that a forward arrives in Serie A and loses their shine. In fact, Stefano Pioli remarked that Rafael Leao ‘needs to smile more’ four years ago, and it’s the same advice Massimiliano Allegri gave to Nkunku.
Being a striker becomes sad not only when the ball doesn’t go in, but also when you feel the weight of an entire department on your shoulders, and you risk being crushed. It happens to the best, and 2025-26 has been a rollercoaster ride for Nkunku, but one he is finally getting off.
Now is the time for consistency, because now is when the real sprint for the top four spots begins. Two months ago, it seemed unthinkable that he would be the only one guaranteed a starting spot in February.
Allegri’s work
Allegri and his coaching staff watched Nkunku closely, seeing that he has improved in every aspect, and he himself explained some of these improvements in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport the other day.
One: “It was difficult for me at the beginning because I’d missed the entire summer preseason preparations.” Two: “Lately, I’ve been able to start a few games in a row, and that’s helped.” Three: “When you smile and see things positively, everything changes.”
So we return to Allegri’s advice about lightheartedness, which obviously doesn’t equate to carelessness. Max has proven himself as a manager who pays close attention to his players’ dynamics. Without him, perhaps Maignan, Saelemaekers, Athekame and others could be on a different path.
The coach has always advised patience regarding Nkunku. The problem, as always, is that in a Milan side that can’t afford to miss a return to the Champions League, there isn’t a lot of patience. Especially for the most expensive signing of the 2025 summer transfer window.
He was initially a little ‘perplexed’ as to the reasons that led Allegri to choose Santiago Gimenez over him earlier in the season. The reality, however, was that the Frenchman wasn’t ready in the fall. He was too far from acceptable condition, and the turning point came when he recovered from his injury.
Winter of discontent
It was a late awakening, however, so much so that the club deemed him expendable in January. The reality is that when Jean-Philippe Mateta’s knees hadn’t been fully examined, if a suitable offer for Nkunku had arrived, Milan would have let him go.
Paradoxically, an investment of around €40m could potentially have left after just six months. It was Nkunku, if anything, who wouldn’t say goodbye, as he stated: “I never thought about leaving. I didn’t ask him to look elsewhere because I just wanted to be ready and perform here at Milan.”
His personal performances in recent weeks spurred this on. The turning point is clear: Christopher has scored five goals in his last six games, the same number as in his previous 46 appearances across the Premier League and Serie A.
There are goals, there is consistency, and there are also team-mates who are ‘helping’. Gimenez has been sidelined for a while, Leao is struggling with pubalgia, Pulisic has muscle issues that never fully heal and Füllkrug has a broken toe.
These circumstances are favourable to the ex-Leipzig star, but they’re certainly not the only explanation. To prove this are the five balloons he has blown up since the end of the year, hoping to add another one (or more) tonight.
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