Emi Martinez 'hate' remark glaring as awkward Aston Villa January transfer claim made
Randal Kolo Muani joining Aston Villa could be an awkward transfer for one glaring reason - his history with Emi Martinez.
Kolo Muani once said he “hated” Martinez after the pair went head-to-head in the 2022 World Cup final. Martinez’s Argentina beat Kolo Muani’s France on penalties in Qatar, and while Martinez was the hero for his country, Kolo Muani was left haunted.
Kolo Muani scored past Martinez in the shootout, but it was no consolation to him because Villa’s No 1 had pulled off a wonder save to deny the France forward in the final minute of extra time to send the match to penalties.
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“I’m never going to forget it,” Kolo Muani has since said. “We were very close to bringing back the third star. I’m not going to lie, I hate him (Martinez).”
According to French newspaper L’Equipe (via Get Football News France), Kolo Muani is one of the players on Villa’s radar during the January transfer window.
Villa are said to have become the latest team “to join the race” for the 26-year-old’s signature. Kolo Muani is down the pecking order at PSG and it is said to be clear that an exit will be on the cards at some point soon.
The front man reportedly has a €60 million (£50m) price tag on his head. However, PSG would also consider sanctioning a loan deal with an option to make the move a permanent one included.