Nkunku: ‘Never’ wanted to leave Milan, Ibrahimovic hasn’t changed

“I tried to remain calm because I knew my qualities and I knew I’d score. It was just a matter of time and shape,” he claimed.

“If you play in attack, you must score because it’s your job. I hope I still helped the team differently, but if you score or assist, it’s more evident. The most important thing is to win and do what Allegri says.

“I’ve never thought about leaving, that’s the point,” Nkunku continued.

“My agent never mentioned any offer, so those were just rumours to me. He knows me well; I’ve never asked him to look for something different or talk to other clubs, because I wanted to be ready for Milan.

“I think Milan are the biggest club in Italy and I’ve understood that the club wants to win titles, which is also my objective. I’ve had a chance to lift trophies everywhere, and I want to do the same here, at a club that was born to win.”

In mid-December, Max Allegri said Nkunku had to ‘smile more’, and the French striker tried to follow his coach’s advice.

“When the coach says something, you have to do it because he has a lot of experience,” said Nkunku.

“At that moment, I lived in my world, preparing to be ready. But it’s true, when you smile and see things positively, everything changes.

“Our target is to qualify for the Champions League, but we must focus on one game at a time. We also have a derby coming up, a special match.”

Nkunku played with Ibrahimovic at PSG, and now the ex-striker is an advisor for Gerry Cardinale’s Red Bird, who owns Milan.

“Now I see Ibrahimovic wearing a jacket; before, he used to wear football boots. For the rest, it’s not a big change,” Nkunku said.

“He still has his character and desire to win. I remember that once in training, I made a mistake that made my team, which also included Ibra, lose. He didn’t say anything at first, but on the day of the game, inside the dressing room, he told me: ‘We lost, never again.'”