Nkunku dazzles against Lecce – Will Milan gamble on former Chelsea man pay off? | OneFootball

Christopher Nkunku scored his first goal for Milan yesterday as the Rossoneri triumphed over Lecce in Coppa Italia with a 3-0 win.

The match was made easier for Nkunku’s side when German centre-back Jamil Siebert was sent off for the visitors just 19 minutes in. However, this should not undermine the Rossoneri performance, who, in all honesty, could even have won by a far more convincing scoreline after a dominant display.

Milan took a risk when they signed the forward in August, Nkunku having played just over 900 minutes in the Premier League last season for Chelsea. However, with his first goal now under his belt and the Frenchman starting to warm up, will the Rossoneri’s gamble pay off?

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 23: Christopher Nkunku of AC Milan inflates a balloon as he celebrates with teammates after scoring to give the side a 2-0 lead during the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa Round of 16 match between AC Milan and US Lecce at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on September 23, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

Nkunku signing underlined lack of strategy in Milan summer

Nkunku’s arrival from Chelsea in the summer raised some eyebrows amongst fans, press and pundits alike. The Frenchman was the Rossoneri’s most expensive purchase in the transfer window, costing up to €43 million. A lot of criticism stemmed from the fact that Milan seemed to lack a clear strategy when it came to purchasing players.

Under the guidance of former Lazio sporting director Igli Tare, Milan seemed stuck between wanting to build for the future and adding experienced, top-level stars to their squad. The likes of Samuele Ricci, Ardon Jashari, Koni De Winter and Zachary Athekame are all solid signings for the long-term.

Meanwhile, experienced midfielder Luka Modric and former Juventus man Adrien Rabiot have been strong so far. However, considering Modric arrived on a free transfer from Real Madrid and Rabiot cost the Rossoneri just €7 million, Milan spent a total of around €162 million this summer and have hardly made drastic improvements to their squad with that budget.

Nkunku was the biggest risk of them all. He had been struggling to find form and consistency amongst a bloated Chelsea side and suffered a string of injuries in the 2023-24 season that saw him miss 48 games for club and country. The Rossoneri spent all summer looking for a new striker, linked often to Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, but ended up signing Nkunku who has historically operated as a second-striker.

Christopher Nkunku joins Milan from Chelsea (August 29, 2025).

Despite the risks, Nkunku is a world class player on his day

Whilst Nkunku’s arrival attracted some criticism, there is no disputing that on his day, the Frenchman is a player of real quality.

There is a reason why the Blues spent €60 million to sign him from Leipzig in July 2023. During his time in the Bundesliga, Nkunku won a plethora of individual accolades, including Footballer of the Year, top goalscorer and Bundesliga Player of the Season, whilst also being included in various teams of the season in both the league and the Europa League.

It cannot be denied that Nkunku has the quality to succeed at the top level but it will be up to Milan, and the player himself, to recover form, fitness and motivation in Rossoneri colours – and a goal and a stellar performance last night is a good place to start.