"Gazzetta dello Sport" stated that Nkunku's performance in Milan did not meet expectations and that he was at a disadvantage in the competition for the main position.

Milan introduced forward Nkunku from Chelsea this summer. In the Italian Cup match in September this year, Nkunku celebrated by blowing up balloons after scoring a goal. But Nkunku has never scored again since then. So far, he has played 7 times in Serie A for a total of 252 minutes without scoring a goal. "Gazzetta dello Sport" joked that this is also a difficult period for businessmen selling balloons.

Milan spent 37 million euros in transfer fees, plus bonuses, to sign Nkunku during this summer's transfer period. This fee was even higher than Milan's transfer fee for Jimenez in the winter. Initially, Milan hoped that Nkunku could become an important player for the team and use his counterattack speed and personal ability to help the team improve its offensive power. From 2021 to 2023, Nkunku scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga, was selected for the French national team, and can play multiple positions. But his current performance has clearly not met expectations.

However, "Gazzetta dello Sport" also pointed out that it is only November and Nkunku may just need time to return to his best condition and adapt to the new league and team. He can play a role for Milan next, but the key is to see if he can become a starter and decisive player.

Milan coach Allegri is not prepared to use a three-forward lineup, and Nkunku needs confidence to improve his performance. Next will be a critical period to compete for Milan's main forward position. Leo has locked in a main position in recent games and will start as long as he can play. Jimenez has performed poorly and been injured, and has been unable to compete for positions in the recent period. Nkunku's biggest competitor is Pulisic.

After the national team match day, Milan will usher in a derby against Inter Milan, and then will face Lazio twice in a row in Serie A and the Italian Cup. "Gazzetta dello Sport" believes that although Pulisic missed a goal opportunity in Milan's game against Parma, Pulisic is still ahead of Nkunku in the starting competition. Moreover, Pulisic was not selected for the current US national team. He can stay in Milan to train and recover in the next two weeks. Nkunku will continue to be on standby in the next Milan Derby, so he can only put the balloons he is going to use to celebrate the goal in his socks and wait for the opportunity to use them.