During the summer of 2022, an exciting, French-speaking forward arrived in the Bundesliga and promised to add a different dimension to an already impressive frontline.
And, no, we are not talking about Sadio Mane.
Bayern Munich’s Senegalese superstar was conspicuous by his absence during January’s 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena; unavailable once again due to an ongoing injury. With Mane stuck on the sidelines, Randal Kolo Muani enhanced his own argument to be named the Bundesliga’s Signing of the Season with a typically well-worked goal to cancel out Leroy Sane’s opener. It was the sort of goal Kolo Muani has made his trademark at Frankfurt; incisive, clinical, and almost effortless in it’s execution.
Frankfurt have a proud tradition of signing up-and-coming forwards for bargain fees. See Sebastien Haller, Luka Jovic, Ante Rebic, Jesper Lindstrom. But, even by their standards, the deal that saw Kolo Muani arrive on a free transfer from Nantes less than a year ago feels like a coup of rather epic proportions.
Especially when you factor in reports that Kolo Muani, amid rising interest from elsewhere, is already being valued in the region of £80 million.
From free-agent to £80m star in just a few months
There were shades of Sadio Mane, meanwhile, in the way the France international put Hertha Berlin to the sword last weekend. He opened the scoring by winning and then converting an early penalty; bamboozling the visiting defence with his swivelling snake hips, a movement more often associated with a slick dancefloor than a football pitch. Kolo Muani doubled his and Frankfurt’s tally later in the first-half; timing his run to perfection before slotting home.
In 18 Bundesliga games, Kolo Muani has nine goals and 12 assists. 12 and 13 in all competitions. There is arguably not a more complete young forward in European football right now; a player with Kolo Muani’s speed and skill, craft and guile, flexibility, movement, creativity and ruthlessness.
“Randal Kolo Muani brings attributes that we need for our game. He’s fast, robust and a very good finisher,” explains Markus Krosche, Frankfurt’s sporting director. “He’s also tactically versatile and can play in several different systems.”
Could Randal Kolo Muani be Liverpool’s next Sadio Mane?
Fast? Robust? Tactically versatile, and a very good finisher to boot? Kolo Muani shares many of the basic attributes that made Mane such a key cog in Jurgen Klopp’s machine for so many years at Anfield. Reports from L’Equipe claiming that Liverpool lodged an enquiry after his dismantling of Hertha Berlin may suggest that – while the Reds’ midfield is crying out a long overdue rebuild – there remains a Mane-shaped hole that must also be filled if Liverpool are to get back to where they once were.
But, in start contrast to his on-pitch visage, Kolo Muani, off the field, is in no rush to pack his bags again.
“(The Premier League) is a great league with great teams,” he tells Sky Germany. “It’s a league that every player dreams of. (But) that’s not my goal yet. With Eintracht, we have a lot of goals for the second half of the season. And I want to score a lot of goals. At the moment, I only think about that.
“I would like the Premier League in the future. But that’s still a long way off, and a dream.”
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