RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku says that the tactics-based approach of his coach Julian Nagelsmann has helped him to develop into one of the Bundesliga's hottest prospects.

Nkunku has been steadily making a name for himself since he joined Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. Having started the campaign as an impact substitute – coming off the bench to score against Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen – he has slowly but surely worked his way into Nagelsmann's first-choice line-up, starting 13 of his side's 23 league outings.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has spent 1,285 minutes on the pitch – an average of just over an hour per game – yet he has still managed to rack up four goals and 11 assists, which makes him the Bundesliga's third-best provider after Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Bayern Munich's Thomas Müller (both 14). Among Leipzig's attacking players, only Timo Werner (1,950 minutes) and Marcel Sabitzer (1,867) have spent longer on the pitch.

Four of Nkunku's assists came in a remarkable performance against Schalke on Matchday 23, when Leipzig's new creator-in-chief set up no fewer than nine chances, showcasing the extraordinary technique and silky skills he learned on the streets as a youngster.

Watch: Nkunku ran the show as Leipzig put Schalke to the sword

"I grew up in a sporty family. As a little boy I was always carrying a ball and going for a kickabout in the street," Nkunku explained to German sports newspaper Bild. "At one point I got the opportunity to go to the national academy in Clairefontaine, and since then I've kept improving."

Nkunku joined PSG at the age of 13 and signed his first professional contract in 2015, going on to win three French league titles with the club despite limited opportunities; around half of his 55 appearances in Ligue 1 came from the bench. In the end, the promising winger realised that if he wanted to step up his development, he would have to do so away from the French capital.

"[PSG coach] Thomas Tuchel used to ask a lot of me, but I didn't have enough time to do what he asked," Nkunku said of the former Borussia Dortmund boss. "Julian Nagelsmann also expects a lot from me, and he's demanding about what I do in training and games. That's taken me further. He also talks a lot about tactics."

With Nagelsmann's guidance, Nkunku has emerged as one of the best young midfielders in the German top flight – and one of his biggest strengths is his incredible versatility. Though his favoured position is ostensibly out on the left wing, the Frenchman has also been deployed as a central midfielder, a No.10, a right winger and even a striker.

Watch: The rapid rise of Nkunku at RB Leipzig

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"He's versatile and has real quality in attacking one-on-ones," Nagelsmann observed. "He also fits perfectly with our transfer DNA as a young player with great potential who can take steps forward, just like us as a club. He's hungry for success and we're glad to have him on board."

Having largely watched on from the sidelines during PSG's recent period of domestic dominance, Nkunku has become central to Leipzig's push for silverware. Die Roten Bullen sit a point off the Bundesliga summit and have a 1-0 lead to defend at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.

"You can only win titles as a team," he noted. "A team in which everyone is willing to work on themselves and help out."

Leipzig's next league assignment is at home to in-form Leverkusen, against whom Nkunku rescued a point with a superb late goal back in early October. The clash will see the Frenchman go up against his friend Moussa Diaby, a fellow PSG graduate who also switched to the Bundesliga last summer.

Formerly teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, Christopher Nkunku (l.) and Moussa Diaby (r.) are now lighting up the Bundesliga. - ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images

"I'm very happy about facing off against Moussa, he's a good player," Nkunku said. "But we're playing at home, and I think we can win if we can match the performance of our last few games."

Refreshingly down-to-earth off the pitch – he prefers commercial air travel to private jets, and enjoys currywurst with chips – Nkunku is nevertheless a true competitor on it, and his rapid rise is excellent news for his club and potentially his country.

The 22-year-old hasn't represented France since the last of his six outings for the U21s, in September 2018, but his recent form will surely be giving Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps plenty of food for thought. If he is included in the upcoming squad for friendlies against Ukraine and Finland in late March, Leipzig's rising star could easily find himself at UEFA Euro 2020 in the summer.

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