'I'm hearing' - Newcastle United 'most likely' to sign £43m striker likened to Alexander Isak
Newcastle United are the French striker’s ‘most likely destination’, according to one journalist.
Newcastle United have suffered several setbacks in their attempts to sign a striker this summer.
The departure of Callum Wilson has left Alexander Isak without any real competition or support, with 21-year-old Will Osula yet to start a Premier League game since joining from Sheffield United for £15million last summer.
Newcastle have attempted to sign Liam Delap and Joao Pedro but the pair both opted to join Chelsea from Ipswich Town and Brighton & Hove Albion, respectively. The Magpies also made a concrete move for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike but the Frenchman is closing in on a £79million switch to Liverpool.
Newcastle United striker search continues
United have been credited with an interest in Yoana Wissa, who scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season. However, having already lost manager Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur, captain Christian Norgaard to Arsenal and talisman Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United, Brentford are reluctant to sanction Wissa’s exit.
Now there is another name doing the rounds - Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Munai, with one journalist going strong on the Magpies’ apparent pursuit.
The 26-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus after falling out of favour in Paris under manager Luis Enrique. Kolo Muani joined PSG in 2023 from Eintracht Frankfurt for £76m and has gone on to make 54 appearances, scoring 11 goals.
Randal Kolo Muani to Newcastle United?
According to journalist Duncan Castles, PSG have set an asking price of £43m, with Newcastle, at present, the France international’s most likely destination.
“I think this is a deal that could happen this week,” Castles told The Transfer Podcast.
“Kolo Muani was loaned to Juventus for the second half of last season, the decision was made by Luis Enrique that he didn’t fit the style of attack that Enrique built and won the European Cup and pretty much everything else with last season.
“Kolo Muani is actually quite a similar player to Alexander Isak in that he is a player full of depth, pace, a finisher and not as technical as the forwards Luis Enrique prefers to use.
“His loan at Juventus was kind of an advertising loan, a straight loan with no option to buy, and a successful one in which he scored 10 goals in 19 Serie A appearances and Club World Cup games.
“Juventus want to keep him but have not been able to as of yet meet the asking price of Paris Saint-Germain, who would like to achieve €50m (£43m).
“Unsurprisingly, there is interest from England because there has been interest in Kolo Muani for years. He went to PSG ahead of interest, clubs including Manchester United. From what I’m hearing from the French end are enquiries from Manchester United about his availability but I don’t think they are as advanced as they are with other clubs.
“Newcastle United are involved in this conversation and I think, at present are the most likely destination for Kolo Muani.”