Tottenham closing in on deadline day transfer with Man Utd still paying price for mistake

Tottenham are looking to land Randal Kolo Muani on deadline day with Manchester United previously turning down the chance to sign him as they pay the price financially

Tottenham are closing in on the signing of Randal Kolo Muani with a loan deal in place to land the PSG star – who could be playing for Manchester United had different decisions been made.

Kolo Muani was a big hit at Frankfurt, eventually convincing PSG to spend a mammoth £76million to secure his services several years ago. The Frenchman has struggled to deliver and is poised to enjoy another loan move, this time in north London with Thomas Frank.

The forward previously had a stint at Juventus and is not currently part of the plan in Paris with Tottenham looking to take advantage as a result. Kolo Muani, at his best, has proven to be an elite performer and the Premier League outfit will hope to get him back to his previous level.

There is no obligation for Tottenham to buy the 26-year-old, who scored 10 times during his stint in Italy last term. The Athletic reports that personal terms have been agreed and Kolo Muani is heading to London for a medical.

United were tracking the Frenchman backed when Erik ten Hag was in the midst of his second summer of recruitment. The Dutch manager had won a trophy and got into the top four and optimism was growing as the Manchester outfit sought more firepower.

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Ten Hag considered making a move for Kolo Muani, but later decided the better option was to invest in Rasmus Hojlund. The young Dane had impressed at Atalanta and £72m was spent to secure his signature despite him being far from the finished article.

It is a gamble that has not paid off and Hojlund has struggled to deliver and towards the end of last season looked hugely bereft of confidence. He only managed to score four leagues goals in 2024/25 and is now pushing to complete a loan move to Napoli.

The loan agreement may reportedly include a clause that would allow the Italian champions to sign Hojlund permanently for £38m if certain conditions are met – one being Champions League qualification. That could still represent a loss of more than £30m.

It is another example of those at Old Trafford making poor decisions in the transfer market and later paying for it financially. Antony is set to leave for Real Betis for around a quarter of what United paid for him only three years ago. Jadon Sancho too could represent a huge loss if he does leave.

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