An dynamic, French-speaking forward came in the Bundesliga during the summer of 2022, promising to offer a further dimension to an already impressive frontline
No, we’re not referring to Sadio Mane.
Bayern Munich’s Senegalese superstar was noticeable by his absence at the Allianz Arena’s 1-1 tie with Eintracht Frankfurt in January; he was out due to an ongoing injury. With Mane out, Randal Kolo Muani boosted to his case for the Bundesliga’s Signing of the Season with a usually well-worked goal to cancel out Leroy Sane’s opener. Kolo Muani’s goal was the type that has become his trademark at Frankfurt: sharp, clinical, and almost effortless in execution.
Frankfurt has a long history of recruiting promising forwards for low costs. Sebastien Haller, Luka Jovic, Ante Rebic, and Jesper Lindstrom are examples. Even by their standards, the transfer of Kolo Muani from Nantes on a free transfer less than a year ago feels like a coup of historic proportions.
Especially when you consider that Kolo Muani is already being valued in the range of £80 million due to increased interest from abroad.
IN JUST A FEW MONTHS, HE WENT FROM FREE AGENT TO £80M STAR
Meanwhile, the France international’s performance against Hertha Berlin last weekend had echoes of Sadio Mane. He got the game started by winning and converting an early penalty, and he dazzled the visiting defense with his swiveling snake hips, a movement more commonly associated with a smooth dancefloor than a football field. Kolo Muani increased his and Frankfurt’s tally later in the first half, perfectly timing his run before slotting home.
Kolo Muani has nine goals and 12 assists in 18 Bundesliga games. All competitions, 12 and 13. Kolo Muani is undoubtedly the most complete young attacker in European football right now, with speed and talent, craft and guile, flexibility, movement, imagination, and ruthlessness.
“Randal Kolo Muani adds qualities that we require for our game. “He’s quick, strong, and a great finisher,” explains Frankfurt’s athletic director Markus Krosche. “He’s also tactically adaptable, as he can play in a variety of systems.”
MIGHT RANDAL WILL KOLO MUANI BE LIVERPOOL’S SADIO MANE?
Fast? Robust? Tactically adaptable and an excellent finisher? Kolo Muani possesses many of the core characteristics that made Sadio Mane such an important cog in Jurgen Klopp’s engine at Anfield for so many years. According to L’Equipe, Liverpool made an enquiry after his dismantling of Hertha Berlin, which suggests that, despite the Reds’ midfield is in desperate need of a rebuild, there is still a Mane-shaped hole that must be filled if Liverpool are to progress.
In stark contrast to his on-field demeanor, Kolo Muani is not eager to return to the field.
“(The Premier League) is a fantastic league with fantastic teams,” he tells Sky Deutschland. “It’s a league that every player wishes to play in. But that is not my current goal. We have a lot of goals for the second half of the season with Eintracht. And I want to score many goals. That is all I can think about right now.
“I’d like to play in the Premier League in the future. But that’s a long way off and a pipe dream.”
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