RB Leipzig's summer has been defined by one persistent problem: replacing Yan Diomande. The Ivorian's departure to Real Madrid for a reported 125 million euros left a gap that the club has repeatedly failed to fill, and that search is now shaping everything around the team as the new season begins.

The most advanced solution is a loan return for Christopher Nkunku. Sky reported on Sunday that Leipzig and AC Milan have agreed terms on a loan with a purchase option, though the club told SID there was "nothing to confirm yet." Nkunku spent four years at Leipzig between 2019 and 2023, scoring 70 goals and providing 56 assists in 172 appearances, and won the Bundesliga's Golden Boot in 2022/23. He struggled to replicate that form at Chelsea and then Milan, but his familiarity with the club and the system makes him an attractive option for coach Martín Demichelis.

The road to this point has been rocky. A deal for Fisnik Asllani collapsed when the Hoffenheim midfielder failed his medical. Leipzig then pursued Said El Mala from Cologne aggressively, reportedly preparing a 60 million euro offer that would have broken their own internal transfer ceiling, only for El Mala to sign a new contract with Cologne through 2031.

On the pitch, Leipzig opened their DFB-Pokal campaign with a 6-0 win at fourth-tier Eintracht Trier on Saturday, a result that provided some momentum after a mixed pre-season that included a 1-3 loss to Bayern Munich in the Telekom Cup. The Bundesliga season starts properly on August 29, when Borussia Moenchengladbach visit the Red Bull Arena.