Recent reports suggest both Manchester United and Tottenham are interested in Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani, but would he be a good fit for either? We take a look at the Frenchman’s data.
Manchester United and Tottenham are both struggling this season, so naturally, suggestions are that both clubs will be active in the January transfer window as they attempt to rescue something from their respective 2024-25 campaigns.
Reports are linking them with France international Randal Kolo Muani. The forward has largely been a peripheral figure at Paris Saint-Germain ever since his big-money move from Eintracht Frankfurt in September 2023, and it seems he could be available on loan for the second half of this season.
But who is Kolo Muani, and why might United and Spurs be interested in him?
After coming through at Nantes, he recorded 22 goals and 10 assists in 79 games across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, before moving to Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt. He joined on a free transfer after his contract expired, playing under Oliver Glasner off the back of their sensational Europa League success in 2022.
It was a perfect fit. Kolo Muani managed 37 goal involvements in all competitions across the 2022-23 season, with 23 goals and 14 assists in 46 appearances, 43 of which were starts.
Only Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Füllkrug (both 16) scored more than his 15 Bundesliga goals, but his 26 goal involvements in the German top flight was at least four more than any other player (ahead of Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala – 22).
Kolo Muani’s form at the end of 2022 saw him called into Didier Deschamps’ France squad for the Qatar World Cup, with his first appearance coming in the 1-0 defeat to Tunisia in the holders’ final group game, though they had already qualified for the knockout stage by that point.
His next outing was more productive, though, as he came off the bench in the semi-final against Morocco with just over 10 minutes remaining and took only 44 seconds to make an impact. Kolo Muani was alert at the back post after Kylian Mbappé’s shot was deflected into his path as he made it it 2-0 and secured Les Bleus’ place in the final.
Though he started on the bench again in that showpiece game at Lusail Stadium against Argentina, Deschamps turned to him and Marcus Thuram before the first half had even ended with France 2-0 down. They helped turn the game around, albeit with a little help from hat-trick hero Mbappé, and Kolo Muani had the perfect chance to win it late in extra-time when through on goal, but his shot was saved brilliantly by Emiliano Martínez to keep the game tied at 3-3.
Even though he was one of just two French players to score in the penalty shoot-out, Kolo Muani’s saved effort near the end symbolised how close France came to winning another World Cup as Lionel Messi and Argentina ultimately lifted the trophy.
It didn’t slow him down domestically, though. He scored 15 goals in 23 games for Eintracht in the second half of that season, which drew the attention of PSG. Just over 12 months after moving from Ligue 1 to the Bundesliga on a free transfer, Kolo Muani was heading back to France for a reported fee of €95 million (£79m).
With PSG apparently trying to rebuild from the era that had seen Messi and Neymar partner Mbappé in a star-studded attack by going for more young French players, Kolo Muani was seen as an ideal profile, except perhaps by his head coach, Luis Enrique.
The PSG boss has never seemed to fully trust Kolo Muani. He made 40 appearances in all competitions last season, but just 21 of those were starts. As a result, his role also wasn’t as defined as it had been in Frankfurt, where he played 90% of his minutes the previous season as a central striker. Just 50% of his minutes with PSG were up front in 2023-24, with the rest of his time out wide. Some minutes even came at left-back.
He still managed 15 goal involvements (9 goals, 6 assists) despite rarely getting a consistent run of starts. He then made five appearances for France at Euro 2024, starting twice, with his only goal of the tournament coming in the 2-1 semi-final defeat to Spain when he headed in Mbappé’s cross at the back post.
This season has been even less fruitful for Kolo Muani in Paris. He scored twice in PSG’s first three games, but hasn’t found the net since, and has only started twice all season (12 sub appearances), and in one of those starts – away at Nice – he was replaced at half-time.
He has been playing more regularly for France, starting each of their five Nations League matches last year, scoring three times. Speaking to TF1 after his brace in a 2-1 win away to Belgium, Deschamps said of Kolo Muani: “He’s interesting, he’s radiant… He is confident and has a very specific profile where in his runs with the ball he has a presence. He is a good header [of the ball] and with us, he is very often successful.”
So, with all that in mind, is Kolo Muani actually good? And exactly what kind of player is he?
As mentioned, his best season saw him playing almost entirely as a striker at Eintracht Frankfurt, where he had also predominantly played the previous year at Nantes, though you can see why he has sometimes been used on the wing. He’s pacy and keen to dribble. Only 10 players in Ligue 1 attempted more than his 128 dribbles in 2021-22, but he upped those numbers in Germany, where only Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong (152) attempted more than Kolo Muani’s 149 dribbles in the 2022-23 Bundesliga season.
For a striker, he was relatively unselfish at Eintracht and had a good track record of providing for his teammates. As a result, only Borussia Dortmund’s Raphaël Guerreiro recorded more than his 11 assists in 2022-23 in the Bundesliga, and just 10 players created more than his 41 open-play chances.
One other notable stat for Kolo Muani is how many touches he takes in the opposition’s penalty area. In the 2022-23 season, he recorded 220 touches in the opposition box, at least 34 more than anyone else in the Bundesliga.
He averaged 7.5 touches in his opponents’ box per 90 minutes that season, which went down to 5.7 per 90 in Ligue 1 last season despite PSG generally dominating more games than Eintracht, although that likely owes more to him playing less often as a striker.
So, it seems despite his pace, dribbling and creativity suggesting he could thrive out wide, Kolo Muani’s best form has come when he’s played through the middle and when he’s given consistent minutes. So, does a move to United or Spurs make sense, then?
When looking at his player similarity radar, his 2022-23 season – which presumably is what any suitor would look to get out of him – compared similarly to some interesting players last season in Europe’s top five leagues, including his replacement at Eintracht, Omar Marmoush, and Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson.
You can see why the Premier League would suit Kolo Muani. His ability to run in behind defences and take advantage of space in the final third would certainly appeal to both Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou.
On the other hand, while United have had their problems in attack, unless one of Rasmus Højlund or Joshua Zirkzee leaves, it’s difficult to see Kolo Muani coming in and being given consistent starts in what is probably his best position. Zirkzee may be struggling for form, but it still feels like Højlund is worth persisting with for the Red Devils for the time being.
Similarly, Spurs have had issues, though primarily in defence where injuries have been shared around like pizza at a kid’s birthday party this season. Up front, they have largely been able to call on Dominic Solanke, who may not have scored bundles of goals but seems to be a perfect fit for Postecoglou’s side thanks to his relentless pressing. You would therefore think Kolo Muani would be seen as a capable back-up, but arguably it’s been shown in the last two years that being a fringe player doesn’t suit him all that much. Like most players, he needs to be loved and relied on.
Rumours have also linked Kolo Muani with Juventus, which could make sense if the Turin club end up parting with Dusan Vlahovic either now or in the summer. That said, the fact Kolo Muani has struggled in a possession-heavy side like PSG might not bode well for Thiago Motta’s similarly ball-focused team.
Wherever Kolo Muani ends up, hopefully he can find a home where he is appreciated and played to his strengths.
Oliver Glasner probably wouldn’t mind being reunited with him, we’re just saying…
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