Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Randal Kolo Muani after the Paris Saint-Germain striker was made available for transfer.
United have endured a mixed start under now boss Ruben Amorim, claiming a remarkable derby win against Manchester City last weekend, but also dropping points to Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest.
But with the January transfer window opening shortly, United way well look to bring in some fresh bodies to aid Amorim’s transition to a new-look team and formation.
Increased depth in the wing-back position is a possibility, but the Red Devils are also keen to add more firepower in attacking positions.
Kolo Muani, who joined PSG from Eintracht Frankfurt for €75m (£64.2m) plus €15m (£12.2m) in add-ons in 2023, is seen as a primary target who the club could attract in January.
The French international has struggled since his move to Ligue 1, scoring just 11 goals in 54 appearances and was most recently left out of the Parisien club’s matchday squad for their Ligue 1 fixture with Monaco.
‘I could speak about it, but I won’t because my decisions say it all, even if, as I have said, all of my decisions can be changed,’ Luis Enrique recently said when asked about Kolo Muani’s future with the club.
According to French publication L’Equipe, RB Leipzig are also interested in a potential deal, with PSG happy to sanction a move next month.
Any deal for Kolo Muani is expected to be an initial loan with an obligation to buy in the summer.
January may also prove an opportunity for United to move players on from Old Trafford, with Marcus Rashford a player likely to attract interest after he admitted on Tuesday that he is ‘ready for a new challenge’.
The forward has started just two of United’s last six games and was left out of the matchday squad entirely for last weekend’s Manchester derby.
Despite his comments, however, Amorim has insisted that he would like to see the 27-year-old remain at the club and fight for his future.
‘This kind of club needs big talent and he’s a big talent,’ Amorim said. ‘He just needs to perform at the highest level. That is my focus. I just want to help Marcus.
‘What I want is to take the best of Marcus Rashford and the other players. I don’t talk about the future. I talk about the present. I want to best of each of them. I just want to win and help the team to be better.
‘We are better with Marcus Rashford, that’s simple and we try our best to push Marcus Rashford to the level he is at before.’
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