Nkunku setting sail for last dance before Chelsea move
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E-mail Xinhua, February 24, 2023
The banner unfurled by RB Leipzig's supporters might have been conjuring.
"We are on the way to Istanbul" was written on the gigantic piece referring to the 2022/23 Champions League final venue in Turkey in May.
But as a fact, the respectable 1-1 draw against Manchester City in the first leg of the last 16 leaves space for bold dreams when it comes to the re-match on March 14.
Eliminating the favorites might still be a sensation, but the return to action of French forward Christopher Nkunku is delivering additional motivation.
Against the advice of the club's medical staff, the 25-year-old reported for action after a long injury break to slip into the role of a game-changer and passed the fitness test.
"He told me he is ready, and I am taking this on my shoulders," Marco Rose said in advance of the encounter.
The Leipzig coach spoke about the significant rise in quality when the gifted forward is around.
Wednesday's draw doesn't only allow the team to think about the next round, but seems to meet the ambitions of the French international to achieve silverware with Leipzig, before heading for Chelsea in a 60-million euro deal after this season.
Several of Leipzig's performers might follow, as rumors speak about Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol following in his footsteps after scoring the equalizer; with Nkunku having entered the pitch only minutes before.
Midfielder Konrad Laimer's move to Bayern Munich is a reported done deal, as the Austrian international is said to have signed a contract with Bayern for next season.
The team's managing director Max Eberl said the squad of the 2022 German Cup winners is hoping to achieve success in its current guise before breaking apart in the summer.
The official is working on the transfer of 23-year-old Canadian striker Jonathan David from Lille as a Nkunku replacement.
Discussing the visit to Manchester in March, Rose seems convinced club doctors this time might turn the lights to green for a fully recovered Nkunku for entire 90 minutes
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