For three years, Christopher Nkunku had been searching for his old self. At Chelsea? He had terrible luck with injuries. At Milan? He did a solid job, but nothing more. Only now, back in Leipzig, is the Frenchman really turning on the style again.

Last weekend, he even scored a hat-trick in the 6–0 rout of a helpless Frankfurt side—a “perfect” one by Germany’s strict definition: three consecutive goals in a single half. It was the first in the Red Bulls’ ten-year Bundesliga history.

So is Nkunku a classic case of someone who can only do his business at home? It’s not quite that simple. But there are good reasons why the attacking star has rediscovered his explosive form in Saxony, of all places.

When Chelsea splashed out around €60 million on Nkunku in the summer of 2023, expectations were enormous. After all, the technically gifted forward arrived in England as the newly crowned Bundesliga top scorer and Player of the Season. But injuries repeatedly set him back.

📸 RONNY HARTMANN - AFP or licensors

The 28-year-old never really found a consistent rhythm at Milan last season either. In Leipzig, they know his injury history. But they also know exactly how good Nkunku can be when his body cooperates. There’s a reason he racked up an impressive 70 goals and 56 assists in 172 competitive appearances across all competitions during his first spell at RB. That talent obviously hasn’t simply vanished. Rather, Nkunku first had to lay the groundwork to be able to deliver consistently again.

Probably the most important factor in that respect was his decision not to spend the three-week international break putting his feet up. Lacking fitness after being demoted in Milan, he worked with a personal trainer in Leipzig and then trained at RB too. "I knew I had to work on my physical problems, and that’s what I tried to do during the international break," he explained, drawing a clear conclusion: "I think that was a good decision."

But an attacking focal point like Nkunku needs more than just the legs for the job—he also needs a role that suits him. Under Martín Demichelis, the 18-cap international plays behind centre-forward Rômulo, where he can put his strengths to good use. He moves between the lines, links up with teammates and bursts into the box at just the right moment.