Is Randal Kolo Muani leaving, or is he staying? This question will dominate Eintracht Frankfurt throughout the summer until the transfer is completed or the transfer window closes on 1 September. The future of the French international and Bundesliga's top scorer has a lot to offer Eintracht Frankfurt – both athletically and financially.
Peter Hess
Sports editor.
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The label of 100 million euros transfer fee has been attached to the 24-year-old striker by experts, would-be experts and Internet portals that deal with transfers in international football. A sum, if realized, that would cover half of the Frankfurt Bundesliga club's budget planned for the 2023/24 season.
Extrapolation is on a secure footing
The calculations of Eintracht CFO Oliver Frankenbach currently assume a total turnover of 210 to 220 million euros for the coming season, after he reached the 300 million euro mark in the record season that has just ended by participating in the Champions League for the first time.
Frankenbach's plans for 23/24 are based on the assumption that Kolo Muani will stay. The extrapolation is on a secure footing, a sale of the coveted center forward is not necessary. But it would be nonsensical to turn down an offer in the three-digit million range.
The situation is comparable to that of Filip Kostics a few years ago. The Serbian left-winger was highly traded on the Internet, and his transfer was reported several times. But it took a year and a half before an offer finally came from Juventus, to which Eintracht said yes because they could afford to turn down low offers. It's the same with Kolo Muani.
In contrast to Kostic, the rumoured sums for the top scorer in the Bundesliga – transfer fee and salary – are in other regions. Accurate centre-forwards are more sought after than left wingers. In addition, the Frenchman is younger than the Serb, the chance of lucrative resale for the new club is greater. Kolo Muani is also less likely to stay for a longer period of time than Kostic, because there are hardly any goalscorers of his class on the market.
Another year with the Frenchman would be an investment for Eintracht. She would have to at least double his measly salary of just under 2.5 million euros in a performance comparison to further motivate him, as he could earn many times more elsewhere. That, too, has been taken into account.
What will become of Lindström and Sow?
However, if Kolo Muani were kept, Jesper Lindström and Djibril Sow would have to be sold. Otherwise, the investments made so far in new players and a transfer surplus provided for in the budget would not be refinanceable.
The offensive dribbler Lindström is valued in the range of 30 million euros plus X, midfield strategist Sow, who is only under contract until 2024, is at 15 million euros. The two strikers Rafael Borré and Lucas Alario, who are willing to change, could also still bring transfer fees into the coffers, but in the single-digit million range.