Kolo Muani was in red-hot form for Juventus, scoring five goals in his initial three Serie A games. But the Paris St-Germain outcast has not found the back of the net for over a month.
The 26-year-old was a favorite under Motta, after arriving at the Turin titans in January. He has not started any of the three matches under interim head coach Igor Tudor, who has his favorite players, although Muani may be unleashed for Monday’s trip to Parma.
Turkish teenager Kenan Yildiz, who has got his groove back under Tudor, sustained an impact injury towards the end of Wednesday’s training session and remains a major doubt for the tussle inside the Tardini Stadium.
Istanbul-based Galatasaray are resigned to losing hot-shot striker Osimhen in the summer. The Nigeria international is on a season-long loan from Scudetto contenders Napoli, and is expected to be sold during the next transfer window.
Gap at Galatasaray
The loss of Osimhen, who has turned down the overtures from Juventus, leaves a massive void for Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk with Muani a serious possibility for next term.
Muani’s situation at Juventus, where there’s rumours in the Italian sports newspapers that his loan from the Ligue 1 leaders will be cut short, means his future is uncertain.
The Bianconeri have been busy this month targeting numerous strikers to potentially sign this summer.
The big names on Juve’s wishlist include Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy, Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, Manchester United’s Antony and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Osimhen has been a fan favorite for Turkish Supa Lig table-topping Galatasaray, who tend to make savvy signings.
Muani is on the radar of a plethora of English and Italian clubs. Premier League interest includes Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Newcastle United, while Serie A sides AC Milan, Napoli and Torino are keeping tabs on his situation.
Muani available at a snip
Muani’s market value has dropped significantly from the €95 million (US$104m) that PSG paid German Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt ahead of the 2023/24 season.
He made just two starts under manager Luis Enrique this season, so was shipped out on loan in January. It became a stop-start signing for Juventus, and almost didn’t happen.
A handful of Premier League clubs were waiting in the wings if Muani’s loan collapsed, and have shown interest ever since.
Following his instant impact, his recent appearances have been woeful and under Tudor his displays have been poor. His current price tag of €30m (US$33m) still seems steep, which is likely to put off any potential suitors.
Galatasaray would be keen to bring in Muani, one of their key summer targets, on a season-long loan as a straightforward replacement for Osimhen.