GdS: ‘Zero goals in four hours’ – why pressure is building for Nkunku to perform

Christopher Nkunku has not had the impact that AC Milan were hoping for so far, and the time has come for him to start contributing.

La Gazzetta dello Sport speak of ‘tough times for balloon sellers’. Nkunku has only been able to blow one up, after scoring against Lecce in the Coppa Italia. He hasn’t had a chance to celebrate a Serie A goal yet, and that in itself is a problem.

So, the red balloon he puts in his sock every game remains there, waiting and hoping to be needed. Milan fans, however, are doing the math and starting to worry: Nkunku hasn’t scored in over 250 minutes of league action. Four and a quarter hours on the pitch without scoring. That’s a long time.

Investment to be repaid

The purchase price naturally plays a role in this story because Milan – after a traditionally cautious summer – spent €37m plus bonuses on him. It is more than they invested in January for Santiago Gimenez, and he is under serious pressure.

The idea was to make the Frenchman an important player, a generator of energy in an attack more dependent than others on counter-attacks, transitions and individual improvisation. Was €37m too much? Here we need to calm down, after all it is only early November and Nkunku is a strong player.

Between 2021 and 2023, he scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga. Nkunku is a French international (he even scored in the last break) and can play in various positions. He will certainly be useful at Milan, the question is whether he can be decisive and whether he can be a starter.

History tells us that the former RB Leipzig man needs confidence, and that Allegri won’t play with three attacking players. In view of the derby the choices seem clear: Rafael Leao has been too good to drop and Gimenez is injury, which leaves Nkunku and Christian Pulisic. The latter is the clear favourite.

Pulisic missed a huge chance against Parma, but he showed he hasn’t forgotten the path to goal. Milan convinced the United States not to call him up for the November break, and Pulisic will remain at Milanello to train.

So, Nkunku should start the derby from the bench, but that sock remains loaded with a red balloon. What a time it would be to blow up his first one in Serie A. One moment in a game like that can make everyone forget four and a half hours.