Manchester United are working hard to get it right in the transfer market this summer, having approached a critical juncture in INEOS' ownership.
Things didn't go to plan last season, with Erik ten Hag dismissed by October and his successor, Ruben Amorim, struggling to get a tune out of the suffering Red Devils, who ultimately finished 15th in the Premier League.
But with Matheus Cunha already signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers, his £62.5m release clause activated, there are signs that Old Trafford will rise again.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Cunha celebrates
Man Utd open talks for new striker
Cunha is a brilliant forward, but he's not a centre-forward. The Red Devils need a partner to field as the number nine, and contacts have been made for such a striker.
Manchester United are looking to replace Rasmus Hojlund this summer and have set their sights on Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani, as per Tutto Juve, who has resurrected his career on loan at Juventus.
The 26-year-old Les Bleus star was on United's radar - along with Tottenham Hotspur - in January after falling by the wayside in the French capital, though ultimately settled on a short-term stint in Turin.
France's Randal Kolo Muani reacts
Now, the above Italian report claims INEOS have made first contact with PSG for the versatile striker, although the same can be said for Newcastle United. Juventus, moreover, hope to purchase him permanently too.
What Kolo Muani would bring to Man Utd
Amorim is carefully piecing together a strikeforce capable of challenging for honours, capable of going punch for punch with the biggest hitters in the Premier League.
Kolo Muani on his A-game would certainly help in that regard. Leaving Eintracht Frankfurt to sign for PSG for around £76m in September 2023, the France international's stock has since decreased, but he's demonstrated with Juve his lingering quality, scoring ten goals and assisting three more across 21 matches in total.
Randal Kolo Muani for PSG
With Cunha bringing his wide-ranging attacking skills to the table, Kolo Muani could find himself born again, thriving as the forward of a Premier League team chasing a return to European competition.
Sometimes, a change of scenery can help reignite the fire that has flickered out for a player. PSG proved to be the wrong career choice for the Frenchman, but a Man United project that he can lead that is showing signs of progress (on the transfer front, at least) is something he should consider pursuing.
Dusan Vlahovic's Past Five League Seasons
Season
24/25
24/25
23/24
23/24
22/23
21/22
Stats via Transfermarkt
United might find that Frankfurt's €100m (£85m) valuation for Hugo Ekitike is a tad on the costly side, but they could snap up another of Die Adler's star forwards in Kolo Muani, with that £76m price tag creeping down to a reported £50m if PSG sell this summer.
Once labelled a "superstar" by German legend Lothar Matthaus, Kolo Muani is a dynamic and incisive striker who has found his footing once again in Italy, ranked among the top 8% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues last year for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Furthermore, to have finished the campaign with a scoring rate of 0.50 is pretty impressive, given his woes across the first half of the year. In fact, as per Sofascore, his eight-goal haul in the Italian top flight also saw just four big chances missed, which makes an interesting comment on his prolific instincts.
randal-kolo-muani-juventus
Working with Cunha, Amorim could create a truly devastating strikeforce (and that's without even discussing the potential addition of Bryan Mbeumo), with the Brazilian forward having averaged 1.8 key passes per Premier League match last season, creating 13 big chances. He was instrumental in staving off relegation for the Old Gold.
Of course, Kolo Muani is not just restricted to sharpshooting. His silky and furnished attacking style lends itself to creative support, and Cunha would delight in this, having demonstrated an incredible scoring ability for Wolves.
This is exactly the kind of electric signing United need to make to bring them back to a respectable position. That famous Theatre of Dreams pull will need to come into play once again.
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