Matthijs de Ligt challenges Randal Kolo Muani during Bayern vs Frankfurt
Manchester United have launched a serious bid to sign a top Bundesliga operator this summer, although they could miss out on him to Paris Saint-Germain, Besiktas have initiated talks over the surprise capture of an Arsenal man, while Monday’s Euro Paper Talk includes an Aston Villa star being on the verge of reaching an agreement to leave for France.
MAN UTD SUBMIT STRIKER OFFER
A journalist has revealed Man Utd bid as much as €70million (£59.9m) plus bonuses to sign Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward Randal Kolo Muani earlier this summer, only to have the offer rejected.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag considered several players as he looked to replace Wout Weghorst, following the loanee’s return to parent club Burnley.
Ten Hag’s first-choice striker signing was Harry Kane of Tottenham, but he proved to be far too expensive. Man Utd resultantly looked into landing Victor Osimhen of Napoli, Frankfurt’s Kolo Muani, Benfica ace Goncalo Ramos and Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund.
In the end, Man Utd opted to bring in Hojlund. They spent an initial £64m on him, though the deal will rise to £72m if certain add-on clauses are met. However, things could have been very different.
Writing on Twitter, L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi has revealed Man Utd sent Frankfurt a £59.9m proposal for Kolo Muani. It seems their interest in the Frenchman was far more advanced than many thought.
However, Man Utd had the offer pushed back as it did not meet Frankfurt’s asking price. The German club ideally want €100m (£85.5m) for their star attacker, though that price could fall slightly if Kolo Muani pushes for a move to a bigger club.
The reason Tanzi has detailed Man Utd’s bid for Kolo Muani is that PSG are aiming to make him their new striker.
As per French outlet Le Parisien, PSG are ready to match Man Utd’s £59.9m offer in the next 24-48 hours. That comes after the reigning Ligue 1 champions agreed personal terms with Kolo Muani.
Kolo Muani could sign for PSG after failed Man Utd move
The 24-year-old has previously been touted as a possible replacement for Kylian Mbappe at the Parc des Princes. Of course, Mbappe looked like he was leaving PSG earlier this summer amid a contract stand-off.
But the issues surrounding Mbappe have been resolved and it now looks like PSG boss Luis Enrique wants to play Kolo Muani alongside the France captain. They could form a devastating new attack following the departures of Lionel Messi and Neymar.
It will be interesting to see how Kolo Muani gets on at PSG, should the transfer reach completion. It is likely he would thrive as the French giants are entering into an exciting new era.
Man Utd could therefore end up regretting their decision to sign Hojlund over Kolo Muani. Hojlund clearly has great potential, but he is a few years behind Kolo Muani in terms of his development and some would argue his ceiling is not quite as high.
Ten Hag is still unable to select Hojlund as he is recovering from a back injury. The Dane should be fit to make his Man Utd debut next month.
ARSENAL PLAYER LINKED WITH TURKEY SWITCH
Besiktas have ‘opened talks’ with Arsenal as they attempt to sign defender Rob Holding in a surprise move. (L’Equipe)
Lazio are hoping to reignite their swoop for Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris after initially being rejected by him. New contact is expected in the coming days. (Il Messaggero)
RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Dani Olmo has publicly shut down rumours of a Manchester City move, insisting he is ‘happy’ at his current club. (AS)
Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard has rejected Man Utd’s advances and is now closing in on a switch to Inter. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
Liverpool view Celta Vigo playmaker Gabri Veiga as a ‘top talent’ but ultimately decided to go in a different direction by signing Dominik Szoboszlai. (Fabrizio Romano)
ASTON VILLA STAR EDGES CLOSER TO NEW CLUB
Lucas Digne appears set to leave Aston Villa before the summer transfer window ends as he is ‘close’ to reaching an agreement with Nice over personal terms. (RMC Sport)
Liverpool and Man Utd are the ‘favourites’ to snare Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch away from Bayern. (Sky Germany)
Man Utd will finally bid for Fiorentina’s midfield enforcer Sofyan Amrabat either today or tomorrow. (La Nazione)
Crystal Palace have rejected a €7m (£5.9m) bid from Leipzig for striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. Despite this, Mateta is still gunning to leave Selhurst Park. (L’Equipe)
Bayer Leverkusen have offered Southampton €18m (£15.3m) for winger Nathan Tella. Leverkusen want Tella to replace Moussa Diaby, who has joined Villa. (Bild)
