Muntari: Asante Kotoko keen to snap up veteran Black Stars midfielder after Hearts of Oak exit

Former Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari is reportedly set to ditch Accra Hearts of Oak for bitter rivals Asante Kotoko.

Muntari joined Hearts of Oak on a six-month contract, which has since expired, with the club yet to open talks over a possible extension.

According to Ghanasoccernet, Kotoko are keen to pounce and have reportedly held three meetings with the 37-year-old former Inter Milan midfielder.

Kotoko are beefing up their squad ahead of the 2022-23 season as they prepare for the Caf Champions League where they will face Rail Club de Kadiogo from Burkina Faso in the preliminary round.

The Porcupine Warriors will visit Kadiogo in the first leg between September 9 and 11 before the second leg in Kumasi a week later, with the winner of the tie taking on whoever emerges victorious between Gaborone of Botswana and AS Vita from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round.

Kotoko are set to embark on a pre-season tour of Turkey before the new season and are hoping to complete their transfer business early, with the experienced Muntari, who won the President’s and FA Cups, among the top names they are eyeing.

Muntari, who managed 14 matches for Hearts of Oak, scoring one goal while providing three assists, had expressed a desire to stay with the club during an interview last month.

“I signed only [a] six-month contract with Hearts of Oak, and I want to renew it, [because] I want to be part of the African campaign [Caf Confederation Cup],” Muntari told GTV Sports+.

A hugely experienced midfielder with 418 matches under his belt, Muntari is a two-time Serie A winner with Inter Milan and was also part of Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning side of 2009-10 that claimed the league, Champions League and Coppa Italia titles.

The former Udinese star joined Inter in 2008 after one season at Portsmouth and made 97 appearances for the Nerazzurri in a four-year spell before he crossed over to AC Milan in 2011 after one season on loan at Sunderland.

After four years with the Rossoneri, he moved to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad for one year, following that up with a six-month spell at Spanish side Albacete before signing for Hearts of Oak in February this year.

Caped 84 times for Ghana, Muntari represented the Black Stars at three World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014) as well as a similar number of Africa Cup of Nations (2008, 2010 and 2012) while scoring 20 goals for his country.