Nordi Mukiele: who is Bayer Leverkusen's new loan signing with previous success in Germany?
Nordi Mukiele has "a healthy amount of positive craziness" according to his former boss at RB Leipzig, Julian Nagelsmann. Will that help the new Bayer Leverkusen man succeed following his loan move to the defending Bundesliga champions from Paris Saint-Germain?
bundesliga.com takes a closer look at a familiar face to German football fans...
*stats correct as of 28 August 2024
Nordi Mukiele
Age: 26 (born 1 November 1997)
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Centre-back/right-back
Country: France (1 cap)
Key stats
A youth academy product of one of the other teams from the French capital, Paris FC, Mukiele made his pro debut in the second tier of French football at Laval before a January 2017 switch to Montpellier brought him to the attention of a wider audience.
He made the step up in grade easily, making 17 appearances in the second half of the campaign before another 33 (of a possible 38) in a commanding 2017/18 season gave RB Leipzig more than enough reason to sign him.
In and out of Ralf Rangnick's starting XI in his maiden season in Germany, he made nine of his 19 Bundesliga appearances in the final nine matches of the campaign in which Leipzig lost just once - a 2-1 defeat at Bremen on the final day of the season in which Mukiele scored his first Bundesliga goal.
He made his European debut that season in the Europa League, and having helped Leipzig to third in 2018/19, got a first taste of the Champions League in the following campaign. He featured in all 10 games - switching between right-back and centre-back - as Leipzig reached the semi-finals, losing out to one of Mukiele's hometown clubs and later employers, Paris Saint-Germain.
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He played 25 Bundesliga games in 2019/20, and upped his personal best to 28 matches in 2020/21, at the end of which he saw Borussia Dortmund pip his team to the DFB Cup.
In another 28 league appearances in 2021/22, he helped coach Domenico Tedesco turn the club's fortunes around, scored against PSG in the Champions League, and enjoyed a different cup final outcome. Mukiele came off the bench to help Leipzig defeat Freiburg on penalties, and claim the club's very first trophy.
Having developed into one of Europe's top defenders in Germany, he was brought back to his native country by PSG on a five-year deal in summer 2022. His homecoming did not work out anywhere near as well as he would have hoped.
Injury restricted him to 19 league appearances in 2022/23, meaning he made a limited contribution to PSG's Ligue 1 title win, and while he was on the sidelines, he saw former Dortmund man Achraf Hakimi shine at right-back.
The summer arrival of Luis Enrique as coach did not increase his playing time, and he made just nine league starts in the 2023/24 season - making a switch to Leverkusen a great option.
Plays a bit like: David Alaba
Mukiele is more at home on the right side than the left flank that the Austria international prefers, but he shares the same smooth versatility as the former Bayern Munich and current Real Madrid man.
Mukiele can play in a classic right-back or wing-back role, and feature effectively as part of a two or three-man central defensive line. His imposing physique is allied with real quality on the ball, enabling him to stop opponents and start his own team's attacks easily. His arrival in place of the outgoing Odilon Kossounou gives Xabi Alonso even more options in how to structure his defence.
Watch: The best of Nordi Mukiele in the Bundesliga
"I came through the youth academy as a centre-back, but then I played a whole Ligue 2 season at right-back with Laval," explained Mukiele. "I don't have a preference, because I manage to adapt to both positions, independent of the system."
But unlike Alaba, don't expect him to be much of a goal threat.
"I played in every position as a kid, just not in attack," said Mukiele, whose single-season personal best is three goals. "I was never much of a goalscorer."
Did you know?
Mukiele was born in the Paris region, but wasn't a PSG fan, instead following Bordeaux from France's south west. He also admired John Terry and Sergio Ramos as a kid, but he only had one real idol.
"I have loved football since I was little thanks to my dad, who did so too," explained Mukiele. "I tried to follow him, because he's my idol, my dad. I wanted to do everything he did."
What they're saying
"His profile makes him an excellent fit for our team. He has a great deal of Champions League experience with 30 appearances and, as an accomplished footballer, he can play both as a right-back and as a central defender. His Bundesliga knowledge is also a big plus for us. After 100 league games for RB Leipzig, Nordi knows the ins and outs of German football, will quickly familiarise himself and further improve the quality of our squad." - Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes
"I love football. I watch matches, it doesn't matter which, I watch everything. When I go home, I turn on the TV and I watch football. I don't disconnect much." - Mukiele early in his career at Montpellier
"He is the type of guy who is always in a good mood, is always laughing and is always jolly. He also wants to improve. I really enjoy working with him because he has a healthy amount of positive craziness. I like that. That’s why he will continue to improve.” - Former Leipzig coach and current Germany boss Nagelsmann
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