Who is Randal Kolo Muani? How Man Utd's top transfer target became a £100m player at Eintracht Frankfurt

At youth level, Kolo Muani learned his craft playing in the Parisian suburbs, as he spent time at Villepinte, Trembley and US Torcy. Nantes then came calling a month before his 17th birthday, but Kolo Muani had to bide his time for a breakthrough, as he spent the next three years in the club's academy. He was eventually rewarded for his hard work, as he made his debut off the bench in a Ligue 1 clash with Saint-Etienne in November 2018.

Nantes decided to send the forward out on loan at the end of that season, by which time he had six senior appearances under his belt. Kolo Muani endured a nightmare start to life with third-division outfit Bolougne, though, as he was shown two red cards in his first five appearances.

That sequence highlighted the fact he was still very much a raw talent, but he bounced back to record three goals and five assists before the campaign was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. When Kolo Muani eventually returned to Nantes, he was ready to make his mark.

Nantes were dragged into a relegation battle in 2020-21, but Kolo Muani established himself as a regular starter and finished the campaign with nine goals to his name as they beat the drop. The following season he was even better.

He notched 13 goals and seven assists as Nantes rose up to ninth in the Ligue 1 standings and won the Coupe de France. After that triumph, he left his homeland for the first time, with Eintracht snapping him up on a free transfer at the end of his contract.

Kolo Muani signed a five-year deal with the 2021-22 Europa League winners, and made his debut in a DFB-Pokal first-round clash against Magdeburg. He assisted one of the goals in a comprehensive 4-0 victory that set him up perfectly to make his bow in the Bundesliga.

Eintracht suffered a humbling 6-1 home defeat against champions Bayern Munich on the opening day, but Kolo Muani got his name on the scoresheet. Two weeks later, he recorded a goal and an assist in a thrilling 4-3 win against Werder Bremen.

Kolo Muani was developing into a master provider, and had nine assists to his name after his first 13 Bundesliga outings for Eintracht - which set a new competition record. He was also making an impact in the Champions League, most notably scoring the winner for Oliver Glasner's side in their final group-stage outing against Sporting CP that booked their place in the knockout rounds.

After the winter break, which saw Kolo Muani play a role for France during their run to the 2022 World Cup final, he picked up from right where he left off by laying on another assist in a 3-0 victory against Schalke. Kolo Muani has scored eight goals in his subsequent 13 Bundesliga outings, which has helped keep Eintracht in the hunt for a European spot.

In all competitions, Kolo Muani has scored 21 goals in 41 games- a fantastic return for his debut campaign at the Waldstadion. He was powerless to prevent Eintracht from exiting the Champions League in the last 16 at the hands of Napoli, but they are still on course for another trophy.

Eintracht beat Stuttgart 3-2 in a thrilling DFB-Pokal semi-final tie on Wednesday, with Kolo Muani grabbing the winner from the penalty spot. If he can keep up his electrifying form, they will fancy their chances of beating RB Leipzig in the showpiece on June 3.

Kolo Muani was handed his first international cap in a Nation's League encounter against Austria last September. He only came on for a brief stoppage-time cameo, but he was firmly in Didier Deschamps' thoughts for Qatar 2022.

The France head coach left Kolo Muani out of his initial 25-man squad, but he ended up being called up at the last minute following an unfortunate injury to Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku. The Eintracht forward sat out Les Bleus' first two group games at the World Cup, but was named in the starting line up against Tunisia, with their qualification for the knockout rounds already assured.

It proved to be a frustrating afternoon for Kolo Muani as he was starved of service in a 1-0 defeat. The striker returned to the bench for wins over Poland and England in the knockouts, but got another chance to shine against Morocco in the semi-finals.

France were holding a precarious 1-0 lead when Kolo Muani was introduced to the action, but he needed only 44 seconds to make a decisive contribution. After a mazy run, Kylian Mbappe managed to thread the ball through to the far post, where Kolo Muani ghosted in for a simple close-range finish.

After the highs of that contest, France came crashing back down to earth with a nightmare first-half showing against Argentina in the final. Kolo Muani came on for Ousmane Dembele after just 41 minutes as Deschamps tried to turn the tide, with Olivier Giroud also making way for Marcus Thuram.

Les Bleus were a different animal in the second period, and Kolo Muani won the penalty that Mbappe converted to halve the deficit. The game went to extra-time after another Mbappe goal, and he completed his hat-trick in the extra 30 minutes after Lionel Messi had once again given Argentina the advantage.

Then came a moment that still haunts Kolo Muani to this day. As the seconds ran down to the final whistle, he was played through one-on-one against Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez.

Kolo Muani could have gone for a chip or passed to Mbappe, but he instead fired a shot towards Martinez' near post, who in turn kept the ball out with an outstretched leg. Kolo Muani showed great character to pick himself up and convert a penalty in the subsequent shootout, but Argentina emerged as eventual winners.

It was certainly an experience Kolo Muani will never forget, and one that he will be stronger for. With him, Mbappe and Dembele leading the line, Les Bleus have a very bright future ahead.

Kolo Muani operated on the wing in the earlier stages of his career, but has reinvented himself as a centre-forward in Frankfurt. He's adapted seamlessly, mainly because of his intelligence on the ball and ability to map out a picture in front of him.

Eintracht's leading man is quick and excels in tight spaces. His dazzling footwork often leaves defenders chasing their tails and he backs it up with end product.

Kolo Muani's impressive assists record tells you all you need to know about how unselfish he can be in the final third, which may come to the detriment of his own output. But his incisive passing has been crucial for Eintracht this term, and its easy to imagine him linking up very with Rashford at United.

When watching Kolo Muani in full flow, its natural to draw comparisons with France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. They both stand at similar height and have a wiry build typical of a traditional target man.

Kolo Muani also has a similarly relaxed dribbling style, as he often glides along the turf before turning on the afterburners to leave his marker for dust. He's deceptively strong too, and would have no problems with the physical demands of the Premier League.

Mbappe singled Kolo Muani out for special praise after France opened their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 4-0 win over the Netherlands in March. "He is a striker who offers different game options to our team. He is very complete and has an impressive volume of play," said the Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

Kolo Muani didn't score, but he linked up well with Mbappe all night and was a constant thorn in the Netherlands' side. If he continues on his current path, Kolo Muani will surely be one of the most important members of Les Bleus' set-up at next year's European Championships.

Deschamps certainly has plenty of faith in the youngster. He has previously said of Kolo Muani: "Randal has many qualities. He has a presence about him, runs in behind from deep and is a good finisher."

Kolo Muani's rapid rise over the last 10 months has been staggering. It has even come as a surprise to Glasner, who knew he had "great potential" but did not expect him to advance to such a high level so quickly.

"He listens and tries things on the pitch, plus he's a great lad. He's not 17 anymore, he's at a good footballing age," the Eintracht boss told bundesliga.com in January. "It maybe is a bit surprising that he's playing such a crucial role here, but he deserves that due to his performances."

Former United and France frontman Louis Saha hopes Kolo Muani will be showing off that unique skillset at Old Trafford next season. “I think Kolo Muani would be a very good signing for Man United,” he recently told DAZN Bet. "Not only as a No.9, he can play either side of a three. He’s a very clever player, very quick, sharp with his feet and very intelligent. He has lots of stamina, he can run all day and will fit into the game plan that Ten Hag loves."

Kolo Muani's current contract in Frankfurt is not due to expire until 2027, but it is expected that he will leave the Waldstadion this summer. He's had a dream debut season with Eintracht and they won't hesitate to cash in if United or any other suitors does indeed bid over £100m for his services.

The question is, what is Kolo Muani's preferred next step? Bayern have also been credited with an interest in his services, and he hinted a move to Allianz Arena would appeal earlier this year. "Bayern is a big club and every player dreams of playing for big clubs," Muani told Sky Germany during the winter transfer window.

United also fall into that bracket, though, and will be hopeful of persuading him to take on a new challenge in the Premier League. The Bundesliga has been the ideal place for Kolo Muani's talent to grow, but the English top-flight is far superior.

He dropped an even bigger hint when quizzed on his future by L'Equipe in March. "We continue our performances and we will see this summer. I thought I was going to need some time to adapt, but everything exploded. Either way, I’m ready for any challenge."

Kolo Muani has all the necessary attributes to succeed in the Premier League and become a household name at United. Ten Hag would be the ideal mentor for him too. Rashford has blossomed under the Dutch coach and could work similar magic on Kolo Muani if he chooses Manchester over Munich.

Whatever happens, it will be fascinating to continue watching his rise to the very top of the game.