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Manchester United should consider reviving previous interest this summer in one of the most dynamic forwards in Europe, as Erik ten Hag weighs up his options for the remainder of the transfer window.

The Dutchman’s side got off to winning ways, however the narrative of the game was far from the three points, with club in crisis Wolves outplaying the Red Devils for the majority of the fixture.

With other clubs around United continuing to be active in the market, Ten Hag could take his side to the next level by exploring rumoured targets of the past that are still available to chase.

Who could Manchester United sign this summer?

After acquiring the talents of Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Jonny Evans, United could seek further firepower by dipping back in the pool of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

Reported in Spain earlier in the summer, the Red Devils had interest in the 23-year-old, who has become an outsider in Madrid due to a frail relationship with Diego Simeone.

After a half-season loan in the Premier League at Chelsea, Felix returned to La Liga however, the transfer window has been full of speculation regarding his future, with his price tag said to be set around £80m.

How many goals has Joao Felix scored?

At just 23, the dynamic and versatile striker has netted 72 domestic goals, as well as scoring on five occasions for his country.

Described as “exquisite” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Portuguese sensation was snatched by Atletico at just 19-years-old, with the Spaniards paying a blockbuster fee of £113m to obtain his talent.

The season prior to his arrival in Spain, the teenager contributed to 24 goals in 26 Primeira Liga appearances for Benfica, showcasing to the world just how prolific he can be with the ball at his feet.

Now, Felix finds himself searching for a new challenge, with his future far from Madrid despite him being under contract with the club until 2027.

In capturing the 23-year-old dynamo, Ten Hag could significantly improve the attack on show at Old Trafford, with the striker’s versatility making him such an interesting acquisition for many.

Deployable on either flank, leading the line or most prominently as a second striker with a partner, the former Chelsea loanee could be the perfect capture for the Dutchman to play alongside new signing Hojlund.

Arriving from Atalanta for a bumper fee of £72m, the 20-year-old has a weight of expectation on his shoulders, with the move questioned due to him scoring just nine goals in Serie A last term.

In signing Felix, Ten Hag could not only gift the Denmark international an intricate striker partner, but a player that could ease the pressure from the youngster, in a partnership that could blossom at Old Trafford.

A keen creator, the Portuguese talent is accustomed to playing alongside a main striker, doing so expertly with Atletico behind the likes of Alvaro Morata, who dubbed the youngster as “special”.

It’s an extensive job to be expected to lead the line for a club such as Manchester United, even more so in the Premier League, and even more so as a 20-year-old with a £72m price tag on your head.

Felix could encourage the raw talents of Hojlund to perform with the help of his experience in playing the league already, paired with his knowledge in forming relationships with lead strikers throughout his impressive career so far.

Former Toronto FC forward CJ Sapong has opened up on the dysfunctional locker room at BMO Field last season under Bob Bradley.

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Sapong guests on Cooligans podcastReveals accuracies to previous reportsSuggests Bernardeschi vaping issues were trueWHAT HAPPENED?

On the latest episode of the , Sapong joined the crew to discuss MLS happenings and what summer 2023 was like at Toronto FC. The four-time capped USMNT striker revealed that it was like 'an Amazon Prime series' in terms of chaos.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT SAPONG SAID

"I'll be completely honest, that was an Amazon Prime series… and it happens like that a lot with locker rooms, there's always micro-stories or things but this s**t was another level."

When asked about the stories of Bradley and Bernardeschi feuding over the Italian vaping in the locker room, the striker said: "This is where I challenged a lot of my teammates, and a lot of perspectives, because that seems simple, right? It's like, bro: 'just don't vape,' but if that person is just someone who decides they're gonna do what they're gonna do, then at the end of the day, well, I guess he's just gonna do that."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

In the early part of the 2023 campaign, the Italy international took aim at Bob Bradley's tactics, which were then followed by a blockbuster report from that the attacker was 'admonished' for using a vape pen in club facilities. The pair continued to clash, with Bernardeschi ridiculing their training sessions, in-game tactics and more up until his sacking on June 27.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR TORONTO FC?

The club will look to forget their 2023 campaign, with 2024 preseason beginning over the course of the next week. With new coach John Herdman in charge, TFC will look to use the ex-Canada boss's experience to lead them back to glory.

Big picture

New Zealand have done it once before. So have England. Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka have each done it twice. South Africa have done it five times and Australia six. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have never managed it. And, perhaps surprisingly, neither have India. What is “it”, though? A winning stretch of at least 10 consecutive one-day internationals. And why is that relevant? Because India have now won their past nine ODIs on the trot. In Bengaluru, on Thursday, in what will be their 926th one-day international, they have the chance to accomplish a 10-game winning streak for the first time in their history of playing the format. An extra reason, perhaps, not to fall victim to dead-rubber syndrome.India have not lost an ODI since they succumbed to West Indies by 11 runs in Antigua in July; Australia have not won a one-day international since January 26, when they beat Pakistan in Adelaide on Australia Day. While India’s form-line consists of nine straight wins, Australia have lost their past 11 ODIs away from home. They cannot rescue the series, but even a consolation victory or two would feel like an achievement at this point. Should they find themselves on the end of a clean-sweep, Australia could fall to fourth on the ODI rankings, to sit alongside their fifth ranking in Tests and seventh in T20Is.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WWWWW
Australia: LLLLL

In the spotlight

Virat Kohli is one-day international cricket’s Mr Consistent. In 2016, he scored 739 ODI runs from 739 balls. Incredibly, he has maintained that strike-rate of precisely 100 this year, too, having scored 1137 runs from 1137 balls in 2017. He is also the leading run-scorer in ODIs this year and has made a century in each of India’s completed bilateral series in 2017. Can he add a hundred in this series to the list?The axing of Matthew Wade in Indore left the wicketkeeping duties in the hands of Peter Handscomb, who had performed the role in two previous ODIs for Australia. In domestic cricket, Handscomb has been a semi-regular wicketkeeper over the years, though in the longest format, he has tried to leave that role behind to focus on his batting. It will be interesting to see how the job affects his run-making in the following games, and it is worth noting that in the 23 List A matches where he has kept wicket, his average is higher (45.75) than in the 43 games he has played as a specialist batsman (30.15).

Team news

There is no real need for India to make any changes unless, with the series won, they want to rest someone. An unaltered XI seems likely.India (possible) 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit BumrahAshton Agar has gone home injured, which will mean a recall for Adam Zampa. Pat Cummins will be rested from the upcoming T20Is and there is the possibility that with the series already lost, the selectors may wish to start his break even sooner, in which case they could bring James Faulkner back in.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Peter Handscomb (wk), 8 Pat Cummins/James Faulkner, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

The Bengaluru pitch has become a little slower and trickier in recent times, but this will be the first ODI to be played at the venue in nearly four years, the last game having yielded a 57-run win for the hosts against Australia. It is, therefore, difficult to know precisely what to expect. There is the possibility of some stormy weather in the city on Thursday.

Stats and trivia

• The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is Kohli’s worst home venue in ODIs: he averages 10.50 from four games there, with scores of 0, 8, 34 and 0.
• This will be David Warner’s 100th ODI, having made his international debut in the 50-over format in 2009
• The most recent team to achieve 10 consecutive ODI wins was New Zealand, whose run ended in the 2015 World Cup final. The most recent 10-match undefeated stretch was, however, achieved by South Africa, whose winning stretch lasted 12 games, spanning September 2016 and Feb 2017.

Darwin Nunez left Liverpool fans baffled when he stopped to appeal for a penalty against Manchester United despite being through on goal.

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• Nunez appealed for penalty instead of shooting
• Carragher left baffled
• Liverpool drew 0-0 with Man United

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Nunez had a chance to score in the 75th minute of Liverpool's goalless draw with United on Sunday, but he hesitated as he appealed to referee Michael Oliver for a penalty. The ball had bounced off the striker into the path of Luis Diaz, whose effort was blocked by Diogo Dalot. Instead of chasing the rebound, Nunez stopped to appeal for a foul of Diaz by the desperate United defenders.

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• WHAT CARRAGHER SAID

  Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher couldn't believe what Nunez had done. While commentating on the match for Sky Sports he exclaimed: "What's Nunez stopped for? Just run across and put it into an empty net!"

  Co-commentator Gary Neville replied: "He [Nunez] thinks it's a penalty but I don't think it is. I thought they [Dalot and Sofyan Amrabat] flew across and blocked."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Both Liverpool and United put in poor performances at Anfield, but Liverpool fans will feel an in-form Nunez might have decided to play on. The Uruguayan striker has scored just four goals in 16 league appearances this season and has failed to find the back of the net in his last 10 outings in all competitions.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NUNEZ AND LIVERPOOL?

  The disappointing result saw Jurgen Klopp's side surrender top spot in the Premier League table to Arsenal, who they will meet at Anfield on Saturday. Nunez will look to prepare for that huge clash in Liverpool's Carabao Cup quarter-final meeting with West Ham on Wednesday.

An elated Jose Mourinho bear hugged a ball boy on the sideline after AS Roma scored a late goal against Udinese on Sunday.

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Mourinho bear hugged ball boy after Roma's win over UdineseRoma beat Udinese 3-1 in Serie AGiallorossi fifth in Serie AWHAT HAPPENED?

Giallorossi took the lead through Gianluca Mancini's strike in the first half before Florian Thauvin brought Udinese back in the game with a 57th-minute equaliser. The hosts then regained their lead in the 81st minute thanks to Paulo Dybala's goal before Stephan El Shaarawy ensured all three points for his side with a 90th-minute goal.

Manager Mourinho could not keep his calm after El Shaarawy's winner as he ran towards the Roma bench and bear-hugged the first person he saw which happened to be a ball boy.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPDAZNWHAT MOURINHO SAID ABOUT HUGGING A BALL BOY

Speaking to reporters after the match, the legendary manager said, "I celebrated the goal that closed the match… there was a kid, luckily it wasn’t a woman or a policeman. He was the first one I saw in front of me!"

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ROMA?

AS Roma finally got back to winning ways and climbed up to the fifth position in Serie A as they now have 21 points from 13 matches. They will next take on Servette in the Europa League on Thursday.

Crystal Palace have made contact to enquire about a summer deal to sign Newcastle United forward Allan Saint-Maximin, according to reports.

Is Allan Saint-Maximin leaving Newcastle?

Since joining from Nice back in August 2019, the left-winger has been a regular feature of Eddie Howe’s first-team clocking up 124 appearances to date, but ever since last season, he’s started to drop significantly lower down in the manager’s pecking order.

The Frenchman was limited to just 12 starts in the Premier League, being forced to come off the bench on 13 occasions following the arrival of Anthony Gordon in January and shift of Alexander Isak into the left-wing role, so despite his contract not expiring for another three years, there’s a chance that he could be on the move.

Back in April, TEAMtalk reported that Magpies chiefs don’t believe that the 26-year-old is deserving of being offered fresh terms which was then further backed up by talkSPORT, who claim that the hierarchy are ready to cash in on him to keep on the right side of Financial Fair Play rules, and it seems that his situation has alerted Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles have so far only brought in Jefferson Lerma on a free transfer from Bournemouth so are yet to splash the cash on any fresh faces, but that could all be about to change because the boss has earmarked the black and white stripes attacker as a potential transfer target.

Are Crystal Palace signing Allan Saint-Maximin?

According to 90min, Crystal Palace have "checked on" Saint Maximin's situation alongside Everton ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Overseas, AC Milan and Marseille have also "shown an interest", whilst Saudio Pro League clubs Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli are additionally considering a summer swoop.

Newcastle's forward is "considering his options" after learning that he won't be tabled a new contract and it's believed that he would bring in a "big sale" should he depart.

How many goals has Allan Saint-Maximin scored?

For Newcastle in the Premier League last season, Saint-Maximin posted six goal contributions (five assists and one goal) in 25 outings, which shows that whilst he wasn’t given a fair amount of game time, he’s more than capable of producing the goods when handed the chance, so the left winger would be an exciting signing should he put pen to paper at Crystal Palace.

The Magpies’ £70k-per-week earner ranked in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons during the previous campaign and was averaging 5.22 shot-creating actions per top-flight game, which was the second-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef, so he loves to use his quick feet, strength and pace to take on his marker and produce chances.

The Puma-sponsored ace would also provide Hodgson with plenty of versatility having operated in seven different positions around the pitch since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so he’d be a great option for the boss to have at his disposal.

Wilfried Zaha has now become a free agent upon the expiration of his contract, and whilst he’s been offered a new four-year deal to remain in SE25, Saint-Maximin could be the perfect successor should he start a new adventure elsewhere having been dubbed “unstoppable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Josh Tongue, a 19-year-old pace bowler who underwent significant back surgery last year, marked his County Championship debut by claiming a maiden five-wicket haul

ECB Reporters Network16-Apr-2017
ScorecardJosh Tongue, a 19-year-old pace bowler who underwent significant back surgery last year, marked his County Championship debut by claiming a maiden five-wicket haul as Worcestershire handed Glamorgan there second heavy defeat in two matches.Tongue had two wickets to his name overnight and added three more on the third morning to finish with 5 for 45 as Worcestershire eased to an eight-wicket victory shortly before lunch. He removed top-scorer Aneurin Donald for 57 shortly after hitting him on the helmet and the end came swiftly.”It was not the start to the season we envisaged, but it’s where we find ourselves and we have work our way out of this position,” Robert Croft, Glamorgan’s coach, said. “It was inevitable that confidence got dented after we got hurt badly in the first innings at Northampton and the same thing happened here – cloudy conditions conducive to swing and seam. I am giving you reasons, some will say excuses, but once they batted the sun was out and the ball stopped swinging. But as a group we did not bowl well as we can, and not as well as we aimed to bowl.”Worcestershire appear well organised, possess a strong batting line up and their seam attack this season has been strengthened by John Hastings, their overseas signing from Australia, and Tongue. They may lack a recognised spinner with Moeen Ali – who plays against Northants next week – only available for a couple of games at most due to international commitments, but with enough runs in the board Brett D’Oliveira’s leg breaks could be useful.Glamorgan have a long injury list – no Graham Wagg, Will Bragg and Timm Van Der Gugten – but their batsmen appear to lack confidence and technique, and this is reflected in their totals this season with 223 in this game the highest they’ve achieved. When their other bowlers return, they will have an useful seam attack, but there is need for a spinner to add variation. They will hope offspinner Andrew Salter can regain the promise he showed two years ago.They had resumed on 141 for 3 and made a poor start when Colin Ingram, after adding only a single to his overnight score of 41, was caught by wicketkeeper Ben Cox from Joe Leach’s bowling.Chris Cooke soon followed, leg before to Hastings, and though Donald was soon into his stride, twice striking Hastings for four, he lost his partner Kieran Carlson who edged to Cox. After Donald’s departure there was little resistance from the tail – Jack Shantry claiming the final two wickets in the space of four balls – and Glamorgan were dismissed for 223, leaving Worcestershire the simple task of scoring 28 to win.Although they lost their openers – a wicket apiece for Lukas Carey and Michael Hogan – Tom Fell and Joe Clarke saw the visitors stroll to victory ten minutes after the scheduled lunch interval to leave Glamorgan with much to reflect on after the opening two weeks of the season.

The one-off Test between India and Bangladesh next month has been pushed back by one day

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2017The one-off Test between India and Bangladesh next month has been pushed back by one day. It was originally supposed to start on February 8, but the BCCI have opted for a late change to the schedule. The game, now, would span Thursday to Monday instead of Wednesday to Sunday.”The Test was originally meant to start on a Wednesday. So we thought it would be better on all fronts if it starts on a Thursday and we could get crowds in for the Test,” a BCCI official said.Bangladesh return home from their tour of New Zealand on January 26 and after a short break would travel to India on February 1. It was also understood that they would play a three-day warm-up match against India A from February 3 in Hyderabad, although it won’t be at the same ground as the Test match.Although Bangladesh have toured India four times – 1990, 1998, 2006 and 2016 – they have never played Test cricket or even a bilateral series in the country. India were their opposition in their inaugural Test in 2000 and have toured Bangladesh to play them in the longest format in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2015.

The series might be decided but New Zealand will not want to spoil their unbeaten record at home against Bangladesh, while the visitors will be desperate to prevent a clean sweep

The Preview by Mohammad Isam30-Dec-2016

Match facts

December 31, 2016
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT)

Big Picture

Neither team will be treating the third and final ODI as a dead rubber. Despite clinching the series with a 67-run win in the second game, New Zealand wouldn’t want to spoil their unbeaten record at home against Bangladesh. By bringing offspinner Jeetan Patel into the squad for the third ODI, they showed they are being far from complacent. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will be desperate to win and end the year in a reasonable mood, given how they were outperformed in the first two games.Patel has taken 129 List-A wickets at 25.29, for Warwickshire and Wellington, since his last ODI in 2009. On the sluggish Nelson pitch, he should be a handful for the Bangladesh left-hand batsmen, who have already struggled against the part-time offspin of Kane Williamson.New Zealand will be without Trent Boult, who took two wickets in the second game, but they would bank on Tim Southee and the rest of the bowlers to bring home a series whitewash. But, given the slower conditions, there will be demands placed on their batsmen, who haven’t fully delivered. Hundreds from Tom Latham and Neil Broom made sure that they didn’t lose their way completely in the first two games, but their runs also papered over the cracks in the batting line-up.Bangladesh meanwhile have to synchronise their batting and bowling efforts, which made contributions separately in the first two games. While the batting sparkled in bits in the first game chasing 342, it completely disintegrated in the second chasing 252. Their bowling did a fine job in the second match, with the captain Mashrafe Mortaza leading the way, bouncing back after conceding 341 in the first.If they can deliver in all three departments in the final game, Bangladesh should threaten New Zealand. If one of these fail again, the home side will comfortably win 3-0.

Form guide

New Zealand WWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLLWL
Jeetan Patel played his last ODI in 2009, but has been a force on the county circuit of late•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Mashrafe Mortaza was Bangladesh’s most successful bowler in the second ODI, helping his side bowl out New Zealand for 251. He has lost a lot of pace over the years, but his wrist work on the ball has been his strength. They’ll want more of the same from him in this final ODI of 2016.New Zealand would want Neil Broom to once again play the anchor role, after his unbeaten, maiden hundred in the second game gave them a fighting total. Perhaps, with one more big score, Broom could stake a claim in the T20 side.

Teams news

Jeetan Patel could replace Trent Boult, who is going to be rested for the third ODI. They will still find it difficult to find space for Colin de Grandhomme in the XI, as the likes of James Neesham, Colin Munro and Lockie Ferguson have performed well.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Neil Broom, 5 James Neesham, 6 Colin Munro, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Jeetan Patel, 9 Mitchell Santner, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Lockie FergusonThere may not be changes to the pace bowling line-up for Bangladesh, but given their performance in the first two ODIs, Mehedi Hasan could replace debutant Tanbir Hayder. It might look like a rash decision to drop someone after just one game, but it is a possibility.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Sabbir Rahman, 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Tanbir Hayder, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Subashis Roy, 11 Taskin Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

The Saxton Oval pitches are rather un-New Zealand-like in their nature, offering very little lateral movement for the fast bowlers but aiding spinners with their slowness. We could expect more of the same on Saturday.A few, scattered showers are forecast.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand’s 251 was their lowest score batting first against Bangladesh in ODIs at home – they had made more than 330 on the three other occasions
• Neil Broom’s ODI hundred came seven years and 354 days after his debut, but that still isn’t the longest time taken by a New Zealander to score a maiden ODI ton. The record is held by John Wright, who took nine years and 244 days

Quotes

“It is disappointing to lose after such a good start. Maybe the boys will have a tough time bouncing back from such a situation. But I think we should still take it positively, that we did well in these conditions. The players should think about creating a similar opportunity in the third ODI since we have come here after a long time.”
“A series win is nice. We have had different types of victories. That shows the side can win in different conditions and scenarios.”

The France international is enjoying a breakout campaign in Germany, and could be heading to Old Trafford in the summer

“We have to build a new future and we need a striker who not only scores goals but contributes by linking up play very well and pressing, which is very important.” Erik ten Hag gave a very clear picture of his ideal No.9 when discussing Manchester United's summer transfer plans in an interview with in April.

Wout Weghorst has given his all in that role since joining the club on loan from Burnley, but doesn't provide enough of a goal threat. The Dutchman might want a permanent contract, but he simply has not done enough to earn one.

The injury-ravaged Anthony Martial is the only other natural centre-forward in United's ranks, and has proven once again this season that he cannot be relied upon. Like Weghorst, there is a high chance he won't be playing at Old Trafford next season.

Marcus Rashford has, therefore, shouldered the main scoring burden for United this season, and he's certainly stepped up with 29 goals across 51 games. But he's at his best when cutting in from the left-wing, and United have no one to turn to when he is absent.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Tottenham talisman Harry Kane are both reportedly on United's list for the summer as Ten Hag strives to address the biggest weakness in his squad. However, Osimhen is said to be favouring a move to Bayern Munich, and Spurs are unlikely to accept less than £100 million ($126m) for Kane – despite the fact he is now 30 years of age and entering the final year of his contract.

If United are going to pay that much for a new striker, they need to have the prime years of their career still ahead of them. That is certainly the case for Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani.

According to , the Red Devils are preparing to launch a £106m ($133m) bid for the Frenchman, which could be enough to convince Eintracht to let him go. United have seen something special in Kolo Muani, and it looks like they're ready to go all out to bring him to the Premier League.

But how did he get to this point where clubs of United's stature are willing to spend so much on him?

• Getty
  

  Nantes polish a diamond

  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.

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  Lightning fast start in Germany

  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.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Life-changing World Cup experience

  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.

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  Playing style

  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.