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MATCH REPORT: CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU AND PULISIC SECURE TOP SPOT FOR MILAN IN 3-0 VICTORY

Christopher Nkunku scores twice in five minutes to end his league drought and fire AC Milan to the top of the Serie A table.

Match Report: Christopher Nkunku and Pulisic Secure Top Spot for Milan in 3-0 Victory
Christopher Nkunku Bags Brace in Five-Minute Blitz

Nkunku had been in something of a slump, not scoring in the league since February. But he turned things around, winning and then converting a penalty two minutes into the second half to put Milan up by two.

Just five minutes later, he was there to knock in another, giving the home team a lead over Inter Milan.

Before now, the 28-year-old had only scored once for Milan—that was against Lecce in the Italian Cup back in September, after his move from Chelsea for around 37 million euros ($43.6 million) last August.

Milan's coach, Massimiliano Allegri, said, He's a sensitive guy, and he really wants to do well here. I think he can get even better, just like we all need to.

We're going to need everyone to pitch in because we've got a crazy month ahead of us.

Inter could take back the top spot later today when they go to Bergamo to play Atalanta. Atalanta's been doing a lot better since Raffaele Palladino took over last month.

Christian Pulisic kicked things off for Milan with a goal right before halftime. He's been on fire, scoring his eighth goal in 11 Serie A games.

Since joining Milan in 2023, Pulisic has been involved in 50 goals in Serie A, even though he missed about a month due to injury.

He finally broke through Verona's defense, poking in Adrien Rabiot's header from a corner in the first minute of stoppage time.

This helped Milan win against a lower-ranked team, something Allegri's players have struggled with lately, even though they haven't lost in Serie A since the start of the season.

Nkunku sealed the deal and made a statement to be Milan's main guy up front. Santiago Gimenez is out until February, and Niclas Fullkrug is expected to join from West Ham next month.

Verona, despite winning their last two games against Atalanta and Fiorentina, are still in the relegation zone, two points behind Genoa, who are just outside the bottom three and play Roma on Monday.

Also today, champions Napoli will try to get within a point of Milan when they play Cremonese, and Bologna hosts Sassuolo.

TRANSFER ALERT: SCOTT MCTOMINAY LINKED WITH SHOCK PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN THIS JANUARY WINDOW

From Serie A champion to January's biggest target, explore why Scott McTominay might trade Naples for the Premier League in 2026.

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McTominay Weighs Up England Return

Word is Scott McTominay might come back to the Premier League, but not necessarily to Manchester United. After leaving Old Trafford in 2024, the Scottish midfielder really turned things around, scoring 12 goals and winning the Serie A title in his first season.

At 29, he's been key for both his club and country, often scoring late goals to win games. But The Sun says things are a bit tense this season since Napoli are only in third place. Someone close to the situation said Scott likes some things about Italy and had a great first season.

But the fans' enthusiasm can be good and bad. He's seen as a star there, so doing normal stuff when he's not training can be hard. All the attention can be a lot.

So, there's talk about McTominay maybe going to teams like Barcelona, Tottenham, and Newcastle.

He apparently wants to play in England again and might even think about going back to United if things work out.

But McTominay's recent words don't sound too encouraging for a United return. He's said he loves Italy and his current club.

Talking to Sky Sports Italia in October, the former United player said, I'm really happy in Naples.

He also told the BBC this summer, The people in Naples are amazing. They're so into it, and everywhere you go, people say 'Forza Napoli' and want to talk to you, and that motivates you every time you play because they care.

It's different, a whole new way of life—how you eat, how you live, all that. It makes you tougher mentally. I've always lived close to my mom, so I could visit whenever I wanted.

Now I live far away, so I can't just go home and see my mom, my family, my sister, and my kids. It's different, but sometimes you have to step out of what's easy, and I've always liked doing that. I never want to be too comfortable, and if I can go somewhere and do well, why not? Who's stopping me?

JUVENTUS MUST ACT: JORGE MENDES DEMANDS RECORD PAY FOR KENAN YILDIZ RIGHT NOW

Kenan Yildiz wants to be Juventus' highest earner. Discover the two conditions Jorge Mendes has set for the Turkish star's future.

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Yildiz Demands €6m Salary

So, the Kenan Yildiz contract talks have taken an interesting turn.

It's not necessarily bad. And it’s not that shocking because he's become a star super fast. But things are happening, and it feels like Juventus now has to figure out what to do next.

Giovanni Albanese of La Gazzetta dello Sport said on Wednesday that Yildiz basically wants two things in this contract. First, he wants to be at a good club that can actually win trophies soon. Second—and just as important—Yildiz and his agent, Jorge Mendes, want him to be Juventus's highest-paid player when he signs this new deal that Giorgio Chiellini keeps saying is coming.

Yildiz has already signed contract extensions for the last two seasons since Max Allegri brought him up to the senior team at the start of the 2023-24 season. He currently makes around €1.7 million per season.

People can argue about Yildiz asking for so much money—that's fair. People thought he'd ask for something closer to what Jonathan David makes, around €6 million, rather than the super high salary that Dusan Vlahovic gets this year. That's ok.

But the longer it takes Juventus to agree on a new deal, put out a fancy press release, and get Yildiz to pose for photos with his new contract, the longer this whole thing drags on. And it looks like this is one of the biggest deals the club has tried to get done with a current player in a while.

Yildiz isn't going to leave for free like Vlahovic, Federico Chiesa, or Paulo Dybala could have. But it's pretty obvious that Yildiz's people—especially Mendes—want him to get paid like the best player on the team. It shows how quickly Yildiz has become a star that we're even talking about a third contract extension in three seasons. This one will obviously cost a lot more than the other two. Is it too soon to commit over €6 million to a player who isn't even 21 until July? Maybe. But Yildiz is the kind of talent you want to keep happy and under contract for as long as you can.

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