Arsenal named as front-runners to land £74m striker in January ahead of Tottenham and Aston Villa
Arsenal have been linked to the striker who has fallen out of favour at French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani, who could leave the French Ligue 1 club in January after struggling for form. Kolo Muani has made just 10 league appearances for the French side this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
The 26-year-old is said to have attracted interest from several clubs both in the Premier League and Serie A, including Tottenham, Aston Villa and Juventus - the latter are said to be very keen on the 26-year-old.
According to TuttoSport, Arsenal are ‘at the front row’ in the race for Kolo Muani, and PSG have no preference as to which club he joins. The report suggests that he could leave either on a loan, or a permanent deal. If Arsenal want to loan him for the rest of this season to bolster their attack, the Gunners will have to pay his entire salary - he earns an estimated £3.3m per season.
It hasn’t worked out for Kolo Muani at PSG. He joined for a hefty fee of £74m in 2023 from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, where he had the best spell of his career. However, since moving to the French capital, the striker has made 54 appearances, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists. He could seek a move elsewhere in an attempt to rediscover his best form.
Despite his poor performances this season, the striker remains a key part of the French national team. He has now made 27 appearances, scoring eight goals since making his debut in 2022.
Arsenal title rivals join race to sign Kolo Muani
Recent reports have linked Chelsea with a move for the striker as they look to take some heat off first choice forward Nicolas Jackson, who has impressed this season for the Blues.
Chelsea have been linked to several strikers as they want to bolster their attack in the January transfer window, as they try to keep pace with the likes of Liverpool in the Premier League title race. Newcastle United had also been previously linked to Kolo Muani, alongside AC Milan.
However, as Arsenal are reportedly the front-runners, and they can promise regular game time due to their lack of depth up front, Kolo Muani moving to the Emirates could be most beneficial to both parties.
Will Mikel Arteta sign a striker in January?
Kolo Muani is the latest striker to be linked to Arsenal amid reports that they are likely to sign an attacker during the January transfer window.
The Gunners have been heavily linked to Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic, who has scored seven goals in 16 league games this season.
Reports early in December suggested that Arsenal could include striker Gabriel Jesus as part of a swap deal as he has had a relatively quiet year at the Emirates. Although a recent pick-up in form may have been enough to convince the Gunners to keep Jesus.
Arsenal have also been perennially linked to Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres. However, it looks unlikely that the Sweden international will move in January, so they may have to wait until the summer.