A perfect replacement for Harry Kane will soon be off the market, with a confirmed Tottenham target agreeing personal terms with a European giant who are assembling a new forward line worth around £181m, per reports.
Bayern Munich lodged their third and final bid for Harry Kane on Friday. Widespread reports claimed the offer totalled more than €100m (£86m) when factoring in potential add-ons and bonuses.
Bayern wanted a quick response and duly set Spurs a deadline of midnight that night. However, midnight came and went without Tottenham letting Bayern know where they stand.
Kane has entered the final year of his deal. As such, Tottenham run the risk of losing their most valuable asset for nothing if not cashing in either in this window or the next.
Waiting until January would be a risk in itself given Kane would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs at that time. Whether Kane stays or goes is still uncertain. However, clubs must always plan for every eventuality and one player they spied as a potential successor to Kane was Randal Kolo Muani.
The France international plies his trade for Frankfurt at club level and enjoyed a breakthrough season last year.
The 24-year-old operated at a goal every other game when scoring 23 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions.
Per journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Tottenham installed Kolo Muani as their “priority target” if Kane left.
Furthermore, Tavolieri labelled Spurs’ interest as “huge”, before claiming talks on the player’s side had begun. A transfer fee of roughly €80m (approx. £69m) was cited as being required to sign Kolo Muani. As such, Tottenham could conceivably have money left over if replacing Kane with Kolo Muani.
However, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, PSG have usurped Tottenham.
Kolo Muani says yes to PSG; £181m front three takes shape
The reporter tweeted Kolo Muani has struck a verbal agreement regarding personal terms with the Ligue 1 giant. Kolo Muani reportedly wants out of Frankfurt and his heart is now set on joining PSG. Plettenberg claimed Frankfurt will push to generate €100m, though that’s deemed an unrealistic valuation. The previously cited €80m looks far more achievable. PSG are in the midst of an attacking overhaul having seen Lionel Messi join Inter Miami. Of even greater concern is the Kylian Mbappe situation.
Mbappe won’t sign a new deal in Paris and as such, PSG are determined to cash in while they still can. Mbappe’s contract has just one year remaining.
Al Hilal lodged a world record £259m bid. PSG accepted, though the move collapsed when Mbappe refused to discuss personal terms with the Saudi Arabian side.
PSG fear Mbappe already has a secret agreement over joining Real Madrid as a free agent in 2024. To ensure they don’t lose arguably the world’s best player for nothing, PSG are striving to sell before the current window ends.
With Mbappe’s future clearly laying away from Paris, PSG have already started looking to the future and Kolo Muani could form part of a new all-star front three.
Deals for Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele (£43m) and Goncalo Ramos of Benfica (£69m) have been partially agreed. With Neymar remaining a controversial figure at the club, a new forward line consisting of Kolo Muani, Ramos and Dembele is in the works and will cost roughly £181m to assemble.
