Newcastle United ‘open loan talks’ with £76.4m striker that played against them in Champions League last term

Newcastle United have reportedly opened talks with Paris Saint Germain over a possible January loan move for out-of-favour France centre forward Randal Kolo Muani. The Magpies are in the market for a striker this winter to provide greater competition to Alexander Isak following long-running concerns over the fitness of Callum Wilson.

Wilson, who has consistently delivered goals in Black and White, hasn’t played since May due to a combination of back and hamstring issues which have carried on since pre-season. The 32-year-old, who is in the last few months of his contract, has only started two games this calendar year, leaving the bulk of the goal-scoring responsibilities on Isak.

Kolo Muani is a player that is capable of playing all across the attack, but is primarily seen as a number nine. He arrived at PSG in September 2023 to great fanfare after a blockbuster £76.4m deal was struck with German side Eintracht Frankfurt. The season prior to his arrival in Paris, he had scored 23 goals across all competitions whilst also starring for France in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 25-year-old forward registered 12 goals and four assists in 44 appearances during his first season in the capital but was often forced to play second fiddle to either Kylian Mbappe or Goncalo Ramos.

The French striker had hoped this would change after Mbappe’s exit to Real Madrid and Ramos’ injury concerns, but so far this term, he has only made 12 appearances and just two starts across all competitions, with Marcos Asensio often playing as a false nine instead.

At present, this hasn’t impacted his international status and he has started all of France’s last five Nations League games, scoring three goals in the process. Kolo Muani has struggled to establish himself as a key part of Luis Enrique’s plans and has been an unused substitute in both of his last two Ligue 1 games.

This has fuelled reports from TBR Football that the striker could be open to a transfer in January, with Newcastle United making contact with the player’s representatives alongside the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Aston Villa.