Nkunku handed new number after RB Leipzig return

Christopher Nkunku will wear number 28 for RB Leipzig after Nigeria U20 winger Suleman Sani took the Frenchman’s preferred number 18 before his return to the Bundesliga club.

Nkunku rejoined RB Leipzig on a permanent transfer after two unhappy years in England and a loan spell at AC Milan during the second half of last season. However, the 28-year-old discovered that the shirt number most closely associated with him was no longer available.

He was included in the RB Leipzig squad for the Bundesliga opener against Borussia Monchengladbach for the first time since returning, but did so with a revised squad number.

Nkunku became widely recognised during his previous spell at Cottaweg while wearing number 18. He continued to use the same number after leaving RB Leipzig, also wearing it during his time with Chelsea and AC Milan.

That run has now ended because Sani is already registered as RB Leipzig’s number 18 for the current season. Bundesliga and cup regulations mean the club cannot change its squad numbers during the campaign, leaving Nkunku with number 28 instead.

The number change marks a small but notable difference between Nkunku’s return and his earlier spell with the German club. While number 18 remained part of his identity at both Chelsea and AC Milan, it had already been assigned by the time he came back to Leipzig.

Nkunku’s return follows a difficult period in England, before his temporary move to AC Milan in the latter part of last season. His permanent transfer back to RB Leipzig brought him to the club he had left three seasons ago, but it could not restore his former shirt number.

The Frenchman’s first involvement with the squad for the new Bundesliga season therefore came with number 28 on his shirt. Sani, meanwhile, retains number 18 under the regulations governing Bundesliga and cup squad numbers.

For supporters who associate Nkunku with the number he wore at Cottaweg, Chelsea and AC Milan, the change will be immediately noticeable. But the club’s registration rules leave no opportunity for the number to be reassigned during the current season.

Nkunku’s return to RB Leipzig has therefore begun with a new number, despite his continued association with the shirt he wore throughout his previous spell and at both of his subsequent clubs.