Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Nantes striker Randal Kolo Muani ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What's the story?

According to French outlet Le10Sport, the Eagles are amongst a number of clubs interested in signing the 22-year-old after an impressive season at the Stade de la Beaujoire.

Kolo Muani has scored nine goals and provided a further nine assists in all competitions throughout 2021/22, with the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt and Lyon set to rival Palace for the youngster's signature.

Heir to Zaha

With changes expected to be aplenty at Selhurst Park this summer, the capital club need to ensure their recruitment is an unequivocal success, otherwise, a fight to ensure their Premier League status could be on the cards.

Over a dozen first-team players are approaching the end of their current contracts at the capital club, while Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson have been ruled out with Achilles injuries until the new year, at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the club's talisman Wilfried Zaha has once again opened the door to a possible exit. It means Palace chairman Steve Parish and Roy Hodgson's successor have an almighty task on their hands over the coming months.

One man who could make that assignment somewhat easier is Kolo Muani. The £6.3m-rated forward (as per Transfermarkt) has earned an impressive reputation for himself this season, despite finishing in the bottom three with Les jaunes et verts.

The France Under-21 international particularly caught the eye in an outstanding 2-1 victory over former Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes back in March.

Kolo Muani was unplayable on the day, bullying centre-back pairing Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe all game long, recording a WhoScored rating of 8.23 as he scored the opening goal before setting up Moses Simon for the memorable winner.

Although the youngster's efforts weren't enough to prevent Nantes from entering the relegation play-off, he showcased his top-class potential in a struggling side, and Palace must sanction a move over the summer.

When comparing Kolo Muani's statistics to Zaha's it's clear the Frenchman shares many similarities with the Ivory Coast international's game.

As per WhoScored, Zaha managed 0.4 dribbles and 0.4 shots per league game more than Kolo Muani, and also managed 1 more key passes per league game and outscored the Nantes man by two goals.

However, Kolo Muani provided two more assists than Zaha and miss controlled the ball on 0.5 fewer occasions per game than the 28-year-old.

Considering Kolo Muani is six years Zaha's junior, the potential for the young striker to grow and potentially succeed the former Manchester United man's ability is clear for all to see.

Palace need attacking reinforcements ahead of 2021/22, and Parish is going to have to make some tough decisions over the comings months, but deciding whether to sign Kolo Muani or not isn't one of them.

And, in other news...Fewer touches than Guaita: Palace flop who lost 67% of his duels let Hodgson down