Randal Kolo Muani Stats: Why Man United and Tottenham want PSG outcast this month

 

With an abundance of attacking players in the squad, it’s no wonder that PSG are prepared to sanction the departure of Randal Kolo Muani this month. The Frenchman moved to the Ligue 1 giants 18 months’ ago, yet has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot for the capital outfit. 

 

During his time in France, Kolo Muani has started just 15 league matches. Even then, only eight of those have been as the leading striker with Luis Enrique favouring either Kylian Mbappe or Goncalo Ramos last season, and Marco Asensio this time around. While a versatile forward, the 26-year-old’s best role is as the leading man. His availability this month has understandably piqued the interest of a number of Europe’s top sides. 

 

 

Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United are the Premier League sides credited with an interest in the France international, while Juventus have also been linked with a move. Even so, a move to England looks likely, albeit on loan with an obligation to buy in the summer. Kolo Muani’s performances in a PSG shirt are nothing to shout about but if he can rediscover his Eintracht form; then potential suitors would have a very effective player on the books to help achieve their seasonal goal. 

 

It was that first and only full season in Germany that saw Kolo Muani shoot to prominence as he ended the campaign with 15 goals and a further 11 assists having operated as the spearhead in Oliver Glasner’s favoured 3-4-2-1 setup. Eintracht laboured to a seventh-place finish, yet Kolo Muani’s performances were enough to catch the eye and understandably so as the French hitman earned a WhoScored rating of 7.29. He won more Player of the Match awards (10) to further reinforce his importance to Eintracht in 2022/23. 

 

Using his off-the-ball movement, Kolo Muani routinely found himself in great goalscoring positions, and having been picked out by teammates; chances were he’d find the back of the net. Only Christopher Nkunku (12) scored more clear-cut goalscoring chances than Kolo Muani (11) in 2022/23, while a conversion rate of 19.5% ranked 20th of the 122 players to have managed 122 shots. Forget the 2022 World Cup final, he is an accomplished finisher that would benefit a number of teams. 

 

Additionally, Kolo Muani had a knack for bringing teammates into play that season. While having two number 10s operate in support – on this occasion, the pair was Mario Gotze and Daichi Kamada – certainly helped, that he ended the campaign second for assists and 22nd for key passes (41) highlights his selflessness. 

 

Crucially, too, was that Kolo Muani worked hard off the ball to force high turnovers and improve Eintracht’s chances of hitting the back of the net. Only Joshua Kimmich (38) won possession in the attacking third more times than Kolo Muani (32) in the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign, and this work rate understandably appeals to Spurs and United in particular, the pair ranking second (118) and fifth (102), respectively, for this metric in England’s top tier this term. 

 

While Kolo Muani’s style doesn’t suit that of a dominant PSG side where space is so often at a premium as opponents look to frustrate the French powerhouse, the more transitional style of the Premier League plays to his strengths. Indeed, Kolo Muani would thrive in the gaps left by opponents to make lung-busting runs into the final third, an approach that would certainly benefit a Spurs side that has scored more counter-attacking goals (10) in the Premier League this season. 

 

 

The PSG outcast, though, isn’t a one-dimensional forward by any stretch. In that one season with Eintracht, Kolo Muani scored a variety of goals, ranging from towering headers to snapshots with either foot. Of the 15 league goals he scored that campaign, eight came with his right foot, four with his left and three headers, maximising his 6’1 frame in the process. The two-footedness to his game combined with a willingness to pull to the flanks adds to Kolo Muani’s unpredictability, a pair of desirable traits for modern-day forwards. 

 

While his size means there is an awkwardness to his running style, don’t let this fool you. Kolo Muani remains an effective dribbler who is more than capable of beating an opponent. 71 successful dribbles in his only full season in Germany ranked fifth in the Bundesliga. A 44.1% success rate meant it didn’t always pay off, but it’s worth noting that Eintracht finished the campaign with a 52.5% possession average, meaning that Kolo Muani often found himself isolated in the final third as he sought to carry the ball upfield with a lack of support. As cliched a term as it may be, he does have good feet for a big man. 

 

As a multi-faceted forward, Kolo Muani remains one of the best in the business. The 2022 World Cup final miss combined with his PSG struggles may have seen him drop off the radar but there is a reason why interest in his services this month remains high. If suitors can help rediscover his Eintracht form, then he could prove a very potent weapon for the second half of the season.

Randal Kolo Muani Stats: Why Man United and Tottenham want PSG outcast this month