PL club join race to sign Chelsea target valued at over €60m by European giants: Reports

The race to sign Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Randal Kolo Muani is intensifying, with Premier League giants Aston Villa joining Chelsea in pursuing the forward. Kolo Muani has fallen out of favor under Luis Enrique and is now expected to be offloaded in January.

The French international signed with the Parisian club in 2023 for a reported fee of £76.4 million after a standout season with Eintracht Frankfurt. He scored 23 goals and 17 assists in 46 appearances for the club that season. However, he has struggled to live up to expectations since and has gradually been sidelined by Enrique.

After a debut season in which he managed just nine goals, Kolo Muani has only played 350 minutes in Ligue 1 this campaign.

There are certainly a host of clubs lining up to sign the talented forward in the winter transfer window. Among the Premier League sides, Chelsea are reportedly interested, while both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have also expressed their desire to secure his signature.

According to L’Equipe, Aston Villa have now joined the competition as Kolo Muani edges closer to an exit from PSG. The Villans currently have both Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins in attack, with the duo contributing a combined 15 goals in the Premier League so far.

However, with a demanding fixture schedule and their involvement in the Champions League, Unai Emery may look to bolster his options during the January transfer window.

PSG are seeking a fee of €60 million for Kolo Muani, but L’Equipe reports that a loan deal with an option to buy in the summer would also be considered.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says recent dip in form was ‘expected’

Chelsea have been one of the surprise packages this season under Enzo Maresca. Despite a slow start, they have bounced back impressively and currently sit fourth in the Premier League table with 35 points.

At one stage, they were considered Liverpool’s closest challengers for the title after an impressive nine-match unbeaten streak in the league. However, back-to-back defeats to Fulham and, more recently, Ipswich Town have put them in a spot of bother.

Maresca, however, believes that these setbacks were expected, given the young squad at his disposal.

"We expected this kind of moment during the season because we know that this kind of moment belongs to the football. It is almost impossible to have a season where you do not have a moment like now for us. But in the same time, not one of us in this room expected us to be where we are now," he said after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town (via Football London).

The Blues will aim to move past their recent struggles when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday, January 4. Following that, their focus will shift to the FA Cup, where they are set to take on Morecambe, before returning to league action against AFC Bournemouth.