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Randal Kolo Muani wants to move to Paris

Photograph:

Frank Hoermann / Sven Simon / IMAGO

Without star striker Randal Kolo Muani, who is willing to change, Eintracht Frankfurt completed the final training session for the second leg of the Conference League play-off against Levski Sofia on Wednesday. The 24-year-old France international was absent from preparations for Thursday's game (20:30 CET; TV: RTL), in which the Bundesliga club needs a win after the 1-1 draw in the first leg to reach the group stage.

According to »kicker«, the reason given was that he wanted to move to another club. As is well known, this is Paris Saint-Germain.

On Tuesday, Kolo Muani had forced his move to the French champions. "A move to Paris is now a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I would like to move to Paris and have also informed those responsible," said the France international to the TV channel Sky and at the same time asked for his approval for a transfer: "I hope and wish that Frankfurt agrees to the offer from Paris and that this change will now be made possible for me." According to media reports, the interview was not well received by the club.

So far, no agreement on the transfer fee

"He's getting a lot out of it at the moment and that's where this reaction comes from, which is wrong, which we have made clear to him and those around him in all its implications. We will play the match against Levski Sofia without him. It's clear to us that the behaviour has no influence on transfer activities," Eintracht sporting director Markus Krösche told kicker.

Kolo Muani has a contract with Eintracht until 30 June 2027, which does not include a release clause. The club would let the runner-up go for a transfer fee of at least 100 million euros. PSG are said to have recently offered 80 million euros. The French top club is said to have agreed on a five-year contract with the attacker weeks ago. The transfer window closes next Friday (1 September), in the French Ligue 1 transfer notifications are still possible until 23 p.m., five hours longer than in the Bundesliga.

In Paris, Kolo Muani would face Ousmane Dembélé. The winger joined PSG from Barcelona in the summer. In 2017, he also went on strike when he wanted to move from Borussia Dortmund to Barça with all his might. Dembélé was allowed to move at the time, but Barça paid up to 135 million euros in transfer fees. Significantly more than the 60 million that the club has now received from Paris.

kjo/dpa/sid