With Thomas Frank’s arrival at Tottenham Hotspur, you’d expect that the North Londoners are set to adapt a new tactical blueprint at Hotspur away, and this is where Daniel Levy and his team will be looking to ensure that they make the offensive roster shaped in a way where it raises the ceiling of the attacking sequences of the Lilywhites, but as under the system that the Dane head coach would want to adapt at N17.
And in the pursuit of doing so, Tottenham have been linked with a few number nines from around Europe, but their winter transfer target, Randal Kolo Muani, still stands out, given how the Frenchman is a player that has that versatility with his position along with a sense of intellectual understanding when it comes to pressing but, most importantly, a sense of sharpness in the final third.
But then you’d think on if he is kind of a profile that fits under how Thomas Frank wants to play. Well, for us to look into that, we’d have to first look at the attributes that he possesses…
Let’s understand the attributes of Kolo Muani
He is someone who is quite good at off-the-ball movements and those third man runs while having an ability to link up play, given how he is sharp when it comes to operating in tight triangles and has that commendable weight of passing. Moreover, you’d have often seen him driving with the ball (be it out wide or in channels centrally).
When it comes to finishing, I’d say that Kolo Muani is not absolutely elite, but he is surely clinical when he maintains his composure.
He is not someone who is quite dominant when it comes to aerial abilities, but he does possess a threat when unleashed into spaces.
And when it comes to pressing, he is more of a system-dependent trigger than an endless presser.
If I am to summarise on Muani and his potential as a striker, then I’d say that the Frenchman is more of a modern forward, but he is not a pure #9 and nor just a winger. He is someone who plays the best when he is paired with a physical focal point, which allows him to float and create chaos through sharp angles and his intelligent movements.
So Kolo Muani ends up complimenting Solanke…
Moreover, for Tottenham, getting their hands on Randal Kolo Muani would be a huge step in strengthening the attacking setup at Hotspur Way. We saw how the Frenchman’s game is all about pace, precision, and clever movements. Adding Kolo Muani to the team would not only relieve pressure on Dominic Solanke but also bring a fresh, versatile option who can lead the line or operate as a second striker.
At a time when the club is pushing to regain its stature domestically and in Europe, a player of Kolo Muani’s calibre could be the missing piece to unlock their full attacking potential.
But how does he fit under Thomas Frank?
The thing is that Thomas Frank wants his forwards to press relentlessly in mid and high blocks and then link up with wide/inside forwards or #10s, all whilst bringing in a sense of physical presence and control under pressure. Moreover, he also needs to be able to stretch defences vertically to open space for late runners. (All of this we have seen Frank implement with his forwards at Brentford.)
And when it comes to Kolo Muani, he is someone that covers ground quite intensively with a sense of discipline. You can play him as a second striker in 4-3-3 or 3-5-2. He also brings more freedom to combine with inverted wingers and advanced #8s (e.g., Maddison or Kulusevski).
But that being said, Miami may fall short. Especially if he is deployed as a lone striker, given how he can struggle when you isolate him against deep blocks. And he is not as dominant in the air, which could end up being a liability given how Brentford under Frank have usually combined short and long balls from the keeper.
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Author Opinion
Given his limitations, I would rather that Tottenham don’t fork out a mammoth fee, especially if he’d have to play as a secondary striker. The North Londoners can actually rejuvenate someone like Richarlison given how he can do everything Kolo Muani can while being a menace when it comes to aerial abilities. If the Lilywhites have to sign someone to operate in that secondary role, there are many other players like Wissa who can provide more to the current roster than what Kolo Muani does.