Southampton and Watford are competing to sign Ligue 1 attacker Rondal Kolo Muani from relegation-threatened Nantes, as reported by Fussball Transfers.
With five goals and five assists in the French top flight this season, Muani has actually enjoyed a relatively successful season at a club in danger of tumbling down the trapdoor and into the depths of Ligue 2.
And it seems unlikely that the highly-rated forward will be playing second-tier football in 2021/22.
According to FT, both Southampton and Watford are weighing up summer bids, offering Muani an escape route from a Nantes side now sitting 19th in the table, four points adrift of safety.
A former France U21 international born in the same Paris suburb that welcomed Kylian Mbappe into the world, the youngster made his name as a searing winger but has developed into a frightening centre-forward at La Maison Jaune.
Understandably, given his explosive pace and his ability to play wide or through the middle, Muani has often been compared to PSG’s superstar front man throughout his embryonic career.
Nantes are expected to demand around £6 million although, in this COVID climate, they may be forced to accept a reduced fee.
It is not hard to imagine Muani thriving at a Southampton side who, under Ralph Hasenhuttl, are at their best when hitting teams hard on the counter attack, flooding forward with speed.
Watford, cruising towards promotion in the Championship, could see Muani as a potential strike partner for the similarly rocket-fuelled Ismaila Sarr.
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