Christopher Nkunku has spent a lot of the season viewed as a mistake by AC Milan. However, he is offering some consistency which hasn’t been seen.
When looking at the players of this season, Nkunku has often gone under the radar. Indeed, the Frenchman was never celebrated upon arrival and he has been a regular target for criticism about the mercato.
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However, it has never affected him. Instead, he has done a job when called upon and added a few goals here and there.
This weekend was the latest instance of this, where he scored another penalty in a crucial moment for Milan.
Nkunku’s rebirth
As Gazzetta dello Sport writes, he has a 100% record from the spot in the Rossoneri’s colours, having only missed three of his 20 career penalties. It is another big goal from him too and whilst there was no trademark celebration, it was proof of his mentality. Focusing on the task at hand, rather than making a big celebration.
This season, he has eight goals in all competitions and whilst there have been five goals from the spot, it is numbers which few have done before him. In fact, the last to match him was Franck Kessie in 2020/21.
There is a possibility that he could star in the final games of the season, with him showing more than any of the team’s other forwards in recent weeks. He could yet be sold; perhaps he could be a starter.
Either way, it appears that the Diavolo are becoming happier with his situation, whatever happens. Whilst there may still be talk of €37 million being expensive, if he gets Milan into the Champions League, it will have been worth it.
Sell Leao, keep Nkunku until you transition away from him for someone more consistent and productive. Everyone knows, Gerry won’t address every position of need in one summer.
The level of difficulty and what’s at stake also makes his goals more important. We already suck and can barely score. This guy’s future at Milan at stake, he’s playing very little, constantly being criticized and he’s been converting all these penalties. I want him stay and i do think he will be a much better contributor next year.
There is some pretty bad statistics for Leao this season:
Leao has featured in 28 of Milan’s 37 Serie A matches this season. Of the nine games he has not appeared in, the team have gone on to win seven, draw one and lose one, which gives them an average of 2.44 points per game when Leao has not featured.
2.44 points per game over the course of a full 38-game season comes to around 92 points, which would have been enough to win the league title in four of the last five Serie A seasons. For comparison, Inter have won the Scudetto with a points average of 2.32 per game in 2025-26.
Milan are currently averaging 1.71 points per game when Leao does feature in the side. Over the course of a full season, that comes to just shy of 65 points, which, in 2025-26, would have Milan in seventh place and healing for Conference League football.
Leo is poisoning Milan atmosphere same as Theo before. He thinks himself above questioning and above everyone. I believe that Milan must sell him
Nkunku has 8 goals and 3 assists.
Given the minutes he’s played 1,467, he averages 1 goal or assist every 133 minutes. That’s 2 every 3 games played.
Criticize him for not being fit at the start of the season all you want, but he’s proved he can play at this club in Italy.