Randal Kolo Muani rejected Lyon in 2021/22 | OneFootball

Speaking on RMC, ex-Lyon Sporting Director Juninho explained that Eintracht Frankfurt and France international attacker Randal Kolo Muani rejected Ligue 1 outfit Lyon during the 2021/22 campaign.

The 24-year-old is now one of the most highly-coveted players as the summer window approaches, just six months after his debut with Eintracht Frankfurt. The attacker currently has 16 goals and 12 assists in 35 matches in all competitions this season. Even if his rise appears sudden to the wider footballing supporter community, the player already had admirers when he played in Nantes where he was formed before a fantastic 2020-2021 season.

Juninho, who was Lyon’s Sporting Director between 2019 & 2022, is now a pundit for RMC Sport had the following to say:

“The versatility, the power, his desire to defend, to fight for the team. He is a competitor. He had to work a little more technically to improve. He is a pleasant type of player profile to have, that’s what struck me. He always hurt us when he played against us. He didn’t want to come, that’s the truth. He chose Frankfurt. I spoke once with him and several times with his agent who is also very nice. In Germany, some players have bonuses per point. Some players can earn 20% or 30% more if they play such and such a game. I think that also weighed in the decision-making.”

Juninho is not surprised by Kolo Muani’s rapid rise:

“It didn’t go as fast as people think. In the 2020-2021 season, he played 41 games scoring 10 goals. And in his last season, he scored 13 goals in 41 games. He has gained momentum since his time at Boulogne-sur-Mer (where he was on loan during the 2019/20 campaign). People were asking questions. But some players reach at this level later than others and there, you have to be attentive with the scouts, the people who go to see matches, call people to find out his mentality. There are several things to do. I think he would have been very good at OL, everyone wanted him at the club but at the time but he didn’t want to come.”

Kolo Muani was the star of the March international break for France, starting both EURO 2024 qualification matches against The Netherlands and Ireland.

James Thorpe | GFFN