Exclusive: €100m Man United transfer target might be difficult for PSG to justify

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Paris Saint-Germain could do well to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani this summer, but his price tag would likely be difficult for them to justify, according to Jonathan Johnson in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.

Kolo Muani has shone in his time in the Bundesliga, but he previously made the move to Frankfurt on a free transfer from Nantes, meaning it wouldn’t look too clever from PSG to fork out the €100million or so that would be required to bring him back to France.

Johnson also mentions that PSG might have competition for Kolo Muani’s signature this summer, with the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United also being linked wit the France international.

Eintracht want big money for their star striker, who looks like he could be a good fit for PSG, especially if Lionel Messi leaves on a free transfer, as is currently expected.

Randal Kolo Muani celebrates scoring for France at the World Cup

“There’s been some talk of Kylian Mbappe speaking to his French international teammate Randal Kolo Muani about joining him at PSG, but the issue here is that it’s going to be difficult to justify paying the kind of money required for the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, given that he left Nantes on a free fairly recently,” Johnson explained.

“Kolo Muani has been superb in the Bundesliga and he’s probably now worth in excess of €100million, while there’s likely to be a lot of other interest in him. Bayern Munich are one club to watch as they look for that kind of striker, while we’ve also heard some whispers about Manchester United.

“PSG do need a centre-forward of that profile, though, and it helps that Kolo Muani is from the Paris region as they look to ‘Frenchify’ their squad, so to speak. Still, I’d find it hard to imagine PSG piling all that money into someone like Kolo Muani when a similar player in Marcus Thuram is set to become available as a free agent; they’re not exactly the same kind of player but he’d be another good option and another French talent who could offer a solution in that position.

“With Messi looking like leaving, it could be that we’ll see PSG’s attack resemble something a bit more like what we see with the French national team, where Mbappe plays alongside someone who is more of a focal point in the attack. With Les Bleus, it’s Olivier Giroud up front with him, but Kolo Muani ticks that box as well, as would Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, though these are all highly pricey transfers, which would prohibit PSG from strengthening in other positions.

“Unfortunately for PSG and the state of their current squad, that’s not a luxury they can afford as an overhaul in other positions is also sorely needed this summer.”

United also need a new striker this summer, with Erik ten Hag currently over-reliant on Marcus Rashford for goals since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.

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