Manchester United could replace Marcus Rashford with a player who has been compared with Thierry Henry.
Rashford, 27, currently has representatives in Italy trying to thrash out a move to one of Serie A's giants in AC Milan. While all eyes are on the United academy product, there has not been as much attention paid to who could be coming the other way.
In recent weeks, Ruben Amorim's side have been linked with a loan move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani. The striker has endured a difficult time in the French capital since his whopping £76.4 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 26-year-old, whose introduction off the bench inspired France's comeback in the 2022 World Cup final, has also been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus. Given his attributes as a 6'2" wide player who's transitioned into a central forward and is known for his dribbling ability like Arsenal legend Henry, it seems like he would be an excellent fit for United.
According to NBC Sports, if Amorim requests a replacement for Rashford, Kolo Muani will be high on the list. In the striker's one and only full season at Frankfurt, Kolo Muani contributed a staggering 15 goals and 14 assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances. As impressive as his goals and assists were, his versatility and ability to perform through the middle and on either flank made him an incredibly useful player.
While his performances in Germany earned him admiring glances, he made his presence known in the World Cup final. He was introduced for Olivier Giroud before half-time and instantly lifted the French with his energy and aggressive forward runs.
He won France's first penalty when he chased down a loose pass and nicked the ball from Nicolas Otamendi, who then brought him down in the box to give Kylian Mbappe a chance to halve the deficit. In the dying seconds of extra-time, Kolo Muani thought he had won the World Cup, but a legendary save from Emiliano Martinez took the contest into a penalty-shoot-out. While he was on the losing side, Kolo Muani was one of only two French players to score their spot-kick.
His time at PSG has been difficult to say the least. He arrived nine months after his performances in Qatar and was granted by a new-look PSG that had been bolstered by 15 other arrivals.
He was competing for a place in the front-line with fellow new arrivals Goncalo Ramos and Ousmane Dembele and then-captain Mbappe. In 54 appearances, he has only managed to grab 11 goals and seven assists for the French giants. Nevertheless, he is still young, and previous comments about his game would suggest he is suited to the Premier League.
Considering Amorim's preference for a 3-4-3, the most likely position for him would be through the middle. There would be competition with Rasmus Hojlund for the No.9 spot, but while the Dane's hard-work and determination has endeared him to fans, there is a growing feeling that he is not the one to drag United up the table.
As he proved in the World Cup final, Muani has the pressing ability and the quickness of mind to lead United's offence from the front. His goal-scoring record is also greater than Hojlund, who is rawer and less experienced than the Frenchman.
Bruno Fernandes looks to be the first name on the team-sheet in the inside-left position, while Amad Diallo has made the right-wing his. Yet, if either attacking midfielder is injured or out of form, Muani has experience playing on both wings and would be a great foil for Hojlund.
United have struggled to score goals all season, not just with Amorim but also with previous boss Erik ten Hag. Considering Amorim's supposed lack of options, Kolo Muani's flexibility would be a huge advantage for the Portuguese boss.
biadiklnot
7
just swap him with leao