AC Milan sign Christopher Nkunku from Chelsea in £36.2m deal | OneFootball

AC Milan have completed the signing of Christopher Nkunku from Chelsea in a deal worth €42 million (£36.2 million).

The 27-year-old forward has signed a five-year contract until 2030 and will wear the number 18 shirt at San Siro. The agreement also includes a sell-on clause for Chelsea.

Nkunku leaves Stamford Bridge after two seasons in which he made 62 appearances, scoring 18 goals and providing five assists.

Last term he featured 43 times in all competitions, netting 14 goals, and appeared in six of Chelsea’s seven Club World Cup fixtures.

His time in England was hindered by injuries, including a serious knee issue that disrupted his first year following a £52 million move from RB Leipzig in 2023.

He was restricted to 11 Premier League appearances in that campaign and struggled to establish himself as a regular starter.

His exit follows that of Nicolas Jackson, who is set to join Bayern Munich on a loan deal.

Milan had been searching for attacking reinforcements throughout the summer and considered moves for Victor Boniface and Conrad Harder before turning decisively to Nkunku.

The French international was also a target for Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, but Milan advanced talks quickly and secured an agreement.

Eighth in Serie A last season, Milan are aiming to return to the Champions League and strengthen their forward line after inconsistent attacking displays.

They began the new campaign with a 2-0 victory over Lecce and Nkunku is expected to make his debut after the international break, with Bologna visiting San Siro on 14 September.

Nkunku’s career began at Paris Saint-Germain, where he won multiple domestic honours before joining RB Leipzig in 2019.

In Germany, he made 172 appearances, scored 70 goals, won two DFB-Pokal titles, and claimed the Bundesliga Golden Boot in 2022-23.

Internationally, he has 14 senior caps for France since debuting in 2022.

Speaking after his move was confirmed, Nkunku described Milan as the right step to relaunch his career.

The club said they were ‘delighted’ to welcome him and highlighted his technical quality, versatility and proven scoring record across Europe.

Nkunku becomes Milan’s fifth senior addition of the summer as they continue to reshape their squad under head coach Paulo Fonseca.