Liverpool are considering a summer transfer for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani, who has been in scintillating form in the German Bundesliga this season…
What’s the talk?
After a dismal campaign in England, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are looking to freshen up the squad and rekindle Anfield’s former verve, and now could launch a bid to sign France’s World Cup star Kolo Muani, according to prominent French publication L’Equipe, via the Metro.
The current Europa League champions are reluctant to let one of their most coveted assets depart, however, and have consequently slapped a €100m (£89m) price tag on the dynamic frontman.
After an exemplary season with the Eagles thus far, Kolo Muani has indeed found himself centre of interest from a range of suitors, with Bayern Munich and Manchester United also interested in a swoop.
Rashford 2.0
Kolo Muani rose to prominence with the France national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a late inclusion following a bitter training injury to Christopher Nkunku; as per Sofascore, the 24-year-old landed an impressive average appearance for 7.03 from his three outings – just one start – and clinched a goal against Morocco in the semi-final – he was dubbed “top-class” by journalist Zach Lowy for his labours.
And at domestic level, he has been in truly sensational form, scoring 14 goals and supplying 14 assists from 28 appearances across all competitions – including two strikes in the Champions League – and has been the offensive focal point for his outfit as they look to secure silverware once again after triumphantly lifting the Europa League last year, beating Rangers on penalties in the final.
One scout report hailed him an “imposing physical presence”, and it is his innate destructive aura on the pitch that is allowing him to reap the rewards this season, blossoming into one of Europe’s most fearsome forwards and consequently attracting the attention of some of the biggest names.
Should Liverpool sign the gem, they would handle a dynamic and unrelenting new component to their frontline, bringing some much-needed energy and a varied approach in offering direct threat and creative assistance to the withered crop of current attacking options on Merseyside.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 3% of positional peers in Europe for rate of assists, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons, illustrating a transitional prowess from the final third that will subsequently enhance the prospects of his team-mates.
And with the Red Devils’ Marcus Rashford listed as a comparable player to the “robust” – as hailed by Frankfurt board member Marcus Krosche – ace, he could certainly be the cog to rejuvenate the beleaguered ranks at Anfield.
Rashford offers a similarly prodigious seasonal output to his French counterpart, scoring 19 goals and serving eight assists from 32 outings, and can drift across a range of forward positions, bearing a semblance to Kolo Muani’s own versatility.
And with the 25-year-old English sensation ranking among the top 11% of positional peers for rate of non-penalty goals, he is clearly a ferocious goal-scoring threat, and this is something that Klopp could indeed channel with Kolo Muani’s prospective arrival.
As such, this budding phenom might just be the answer to Klopp and co’s woes, and should Liverpool manage to bypass the strenuous task of negotiating the currently exorbitant fee attached to his name, Merseyside might be handed its next big thing as a forward in Rashford’s mould dazzles for Liverpool over the comings seasons.
