Liverpool are battling Manchester United for the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani.
That’s according to French outlet L’Equipe, who claim that the two English giants will go head-to-head for the forward.
However, it could well be a battle of who has the deepest pockets. That’s because Eintracht will reportedly demand as much as £89m to prise away their star player.
United’s interest appears to be slightly further along, with Erki ten Hag said to have ‘requested’ the Frenchman’s signing. No such bold statements are made about Liverpool, who are merely claimed to be ‘interested.’
Muani looking to banish World Cup woes
Muani has reportedly been a long-term target for Liverpool. The Reds were claimed to want him as he left Nantes on a free transfer last summer.
In the end, the 24-year-old moved to Germany to join Eintracht. So far, that has proven to be a very good decision.
With nine goals and ten Bundesliga assists, Muani has taken the league by storm. His two Champions League Group Stage goals helped fire his team to the knockout rounds for the first time and he even made the France World Cup squad.
Unfortunately though, the biggest moment of Muani’s career is likely to be a goal he didn’t score. No matter what he achieves in the game, he may always be known as the man who almost stole the World Cup away from Lionel Messi.
It was he who’s shot was remarkably saved by Argentina’s Emi Martinez in the last seconds of the World Cup final in December. Had he buried Ibrahima Konate’s looping pass beyond the Aston Villa goalie, he would have won it for France. There was no way back for Messi and co.
Instead, Martinez flung out a left leg to make one of the most incredible saves in World Cup history. As a sliding doors moment, it doesn’t get much bigger in football.
It would have been little consolation to Muani that he scored in the previous round’s win over Morocco. It’s surely a miss that will haunt the player forever.
Still, he’s going the right way about banishing those memories. Keep on going the way he is, secure a move to Liverpool, and he might well get the chance to win trophies of his on.