Since Ralf Rangnick took charge at Old Trafford, Manchester United have been tipped to sign a number of top Bundesliga players including Denis Zakaria and Amadou Haidara to name but two.
The Red Devils opted against chasing the pair in January - and saw Zakaria join Juventus on the cheap - but ahead of the summer transfer window, Christopher Nkunku's name has emerged as the latest on the club's radar.
Unlike Zakaria and Haidara, Nkunku is a forward rather than a midfielder, but he's one of the most versatile players around and has showcased an ability to essentially play anywhere during his time in Germany.
Since moving from Paris Saint-Germain to RB Leipzig in 2019, Nkunku has played on both flanks, as a centre forward, as a no.10, as a central midfielder and even as a wing-back, which is quite remarkable.
He possesses a very adaptable skill set but regardless of his role, he's naturally attack-minded. He's scored 30 non-penalty goals in the Bundesliga and Champions League for Leipzig, while also registering a further 28 assists.
Those numbers capture his threat both as a creator and a scorer. He's posted a goal or an assist every 126 minutes based on his output in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Just 24 years old, Nkunku places third in the Bundesliga at present for completed dribbles - behind only Alphonso Davies and Serge Gnabry - and he's equally dangerous on the break as he is when his team are dominant with possession.
The Frenchman is quick and decisive, and his dead-ball expertise also seems to be improving as he matures. Many clubs from across Europe are likely to be tracking his development.
This season is looking like his best yet and in the summer, he'll have two years remaining on his contract, but do United truly need him?
Rangnick currently has a wealth of attacking players at his disposal from Marcus Rashford to Cristiano Ronaldo to Bruno Fernandes to Jadon Sancho - with Nkunku particularly similar to the latter - who thrived at Borussia Dortmund.
The 63-year-old has expressed how United will need a youthful striker in the near future given the respective ages of Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, but Nkunku is more of a wide forward than a focal point.
On the other hand, with Paul Pogba's contract due to expire in the coming months and Anthony Martial likely to leave the club in the summer, perhaps Nkunku is viewed as a way of shaping United's next attack.
Cavani, Pogba and Martial could be set to depart from the squad sooner rather than later, which could free up space for Nkunku to step in. The Bundesliga star could become one of the faces of United's fresh start.
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