Chelsea make contact over “ice-cold” £202k-p/w star

Things have been going well for Enzo Maresca since he became Chelsea manager in the summer. They have been one of the best sides in front of goal in the Premier League, as the stats suggest on Sofascore.

The Blues have found the back of the net 38 times, the third most in the league, bettered only by Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. They have also created the second-highest number of big chances, again bettered only by the Reds, who have created 72 to Chelsea’s 64.

There is certainly plenty of firepower up front for the Blues, and they have been linked with another reinforcement ahead of the January transfer window.

Chelsea target Ligue 1 striker

The player in question here is Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani. The 26-year-old has struggled to break into the PSG side under Luis Enrique this season and could depart the French capital in the winter.

According to a report from TEAMTalk, the Blues are believed to be ‘very keen due to the fact he can play anywhere across the front three’. They have reportedly ‘made contact to find out the conditions of a potential deal’ this January.

However, they won’t be alone in their quest to sign the Frenchman within the next month or so. Manchester United are thought to be ‘one of the sides keen on him’, with North Londoners Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal also interested in doing a deal this winter.

Why Kolo Muani would be a good signing

It has been a tough season for the France international so far. He has played 14 times in all competitions, featuring for a mere 453 minutes, the equivalent of five full 90 minutes. Even when he has played, he has only managed to score twice in total.

However, there is no denying his class, given he scored 15 goals and grabbed 14 assists in 32 Bundesliga games for Eintracht Frankfurt during his final campaign at the club. It was that form that earned him a £76.4m move to the French capital in the summer of 2023.

A full France international, Kolo Muani was part of the 2022 World Cup squad which lost to Argentina. Rather infamously, he missed a last-gasp one-on-one in the final. However, he did score in the semi-final, a poacher’s finish against Morocco after being on the pitch for just 44 seconds.

There have certainly been plenty of high-profile footballing people who have been full of praise for the 26-year-old. Perhaps the best of the bunch is German legend Lothar Matthaus.

He once described him as a “future superstar”, explaining that he is “ice-cold in front of goal” – high praise from a legend of the game.

There are certainly comparisons that can be drawn between Chelsea’s first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson, and their reported target Kolo Muani.

The Senegal international has been on fire this season, with nine goals and three assists in 17 games in the Premier League this term. That includes two goals and an assist in a 3-0 away win to London rivals West Ham United.

There can certainly be statistical comparisons drawn between Jackson and Kolo Muani, with the deemed to be similar players among those in Europe’s top five leagues, according to FBref.

For example, the PSG man averages 0.5 goals per game and has 1.51 shots on target per 90 minutes in Ligue 1. Comparatively, the Chelsea number 15 averages 0.61 goals each game and 1.63 shots on target.

Having someone like Kolo Muani in the Chelsea squad to offer serious competition to Jackson could be a smart move for Maresca. The 26-year-old, who earns £202k-per-week as per Capology, has not been at his best this season, but on the other hand, has not really played either.

At Stamford Bridge, there would be the opportunity to play regularly, and if he can find his groove, the Blues could have a deadly player on their hands. Kolo Muani could be the perfect addition to help push Chelsea up the table and perhaps make a title charge.