Man Utd to smash transfer record with Kolo Muani bid

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 15 Mar 2023 15:08 GMT
• 4 min read

Manchester United are ready to launch a €120 million bid for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, according to a report from Bild.

France international striker Kolo Muani, 24, has enjoyed a spectacular breakout season with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. It is his first campaign in Germany, having moved on a free transfer from Nantes last summer.

Kolo Muani had shown signs of the form he has displayed this term while in Ligue 1, but a haul of 11 goals and 12 assists in 23 Bundesliga games for the Europa League winners has caught the eye of clubs around Europe.

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Furthermore, he also impressed with France in the World Cup, although the lasting memory of his competition will be the late chance he had brilliantly saved by Emi Martinez that would surely have decided the final.

Man Utd, meanwhile, are in need of a centre-forward and are ready to spend big this summer. Victor Osimhen of Napoli and Harry Kane of Tottenham are thought to be their primary targets but will come at huge cost. For this reason, they are eyeing up alternative options.

Bild reports that Man Utd are ready to get ahead of their rivals in the chase for Kolo Muani by being the first team to make a bid. It is also reported that the figure they are lining up is €120 million.

This would represent the biggest deal in the club’s history, with their current transfer record set at €105m (£94.5m), which they spent on Paul Pogba in 2016.

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Doubts over Kolo-Muani bid

It would be surprising if Man Utd were willing to launch such an offer for Kolo Muani for several reasons.

Firstly, the club is in the midst of a takeover and it is unclear who will be in charge come the summer. While FootballTransfers understands that Man Utd’s basic transfer policy is unlikely to change, marquee deals are unlikely to be plotted at the juncture.

Secondly, Kolo Muani would be a surprising player to spend such a figure on. While he has performed impressively, his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) is only €65.6m. It has jumped from €15.1m since he signed from Eintracht, but given that Osimhen is liable to be available around the same price point and has more guarantees over his form, a move for the Nigeria international would appear more logical.