An Monday morning, Jesper Lindström was not in Italy. Not yet. The Danish soccer professional stayed in the professional camp of Frankfurt Eintracht. The 23-year-old offensive player did not board a plane to Naples on Sunday evening, even if there had been previous reports to the contrary. However, Lindström did not take part in the one-hour training session for the Frankfurt substitutes at the start of the new working week. The national player should have been there because he was not used in Eintracht’s 1-1 draw in Mainz on Sunday. “We would actually have liked to set up Jesper,” said coach Dino Toppmöller after the away game.
“But the communication was very clear and we respect that.” The agile attacking player is on the verge of jumping at Eintracht: If everything goes as expected from all sides, Lindström will switch to the Italian champions SSC Napoli. The transfer fee is around 30 million euros. A lending transaction is also conceivable at first, before a purchase obligation takes effect in the summer of 2024. For comparison: Two years ago, the Frankfurt team signed the fast Scandinavian for “only” seven million euros from Brondby Copenhagen. The Hessians would do a great deal with a hefty profit. This Tuesday, Lindstrom is scheduled to complete the medical check in Naples. Then he is in Italy.
Eintracht has probably already found a successor for the Dane. She is about to sign 20-year-old Fares Chaibi. The Toulouse FC striker is scheduled to take part in the medical check-up in Frankfurt this Tuesday, according to French media. The transfer fee for the Algerian, who has a working paper in Toulouse until mid-2025 and who can play both on the ten and on both flanks, is around ten million euros. Last season, Chaibi scored five goals in his 36 appearances in Ligue 1 and also contributed five assists. In five cup games, the Algerian international, who played mostly as a left winger, scored three goals and two assists. Chaibi is to take the next development step in Frankfurt.
Struggling for the transfer fee at Kolo Muani
Like Lindström, Randal Kolo Muani was also present at Eintracht’s premises on Monday. However, the France international did not show up on the practice ground; he had played a good 70 minutes in Mainz before coach Toppmöller replaced him. Maybe it was Kolo Muani’s farewell game. Anyone who looked him in the face after the match, when he stood with his teammates in front of the Frankfurt fan block, saw a withdrawn striker who seemed to be burdened. This is likely to be his future career, which has not yet been clarified.
Because Kolo Muani has not yet reached his next career goal. He is said to have already reached an agreement with Paris St. Germain on a five-year contract. But the two clubs are still struggling to find the transfer fee that comes closest to their ideas. For Eintracht, in which striker Lucas Alario resumed team training after a long injury break on Monday, with their negotiator Markus Krösche (sports director), the benchmark is 100 million euros as a sales price. The Parisians, in turn, offered around 65 million euros for Kolo Muani in a first offer.
Far too little from the point of view of Frankfurt, who stubbornly stuck to their negotiating position. That is why the Parisians of Eintracht are probably submitting a second, improved offer. According to French media reports, it should now amount to 70 million euros. There is also talk of the 21-year-old striker Hugo Ekitike being included in the deal on reduced terms. Both parties, Paris and Eintracht, must have reached an agreement by Friday at 6 p.m. at the latest, then the transfer period ends this summer. Otherwise a transfer from Kolo Muani would not come about.
“It’s just nice for all of us when September 1st and a decision is there,” said Toppmöller in Mainz. The hanging game seems to be a big burden, especially for Kolo Muani. Because the exceptional player is quite far away from his best form. The striker apparently wants to change jobs. But if he had to stay in Frankfurt, it would be exciting to see how Kolo Muani would deal with the decision mentally. Could he put up with that? He is said to have announced that he could imagine staying under certain circumstances. Either way: Eintracht is prepared for the departure of their star striker and already knows who they would then strengthen with.
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