Dean Jones recently shared some news about the messy situation at Tottenham Hotspur regarding Randal Kolo Muani. He claimed that the forward’s future in North London looks increasingly bleak beyond the current campaign.
Dean Jones: Kolo Muani’s Spurs loan teeters on the brink
Jones posted on X that the French striker’s tenure at Spurs seems to be heading toward an inevitable conclusion. However, a premature exit during this January window presents significant logistical hurdles. The club simply did not anticipate these complications.
Kolo Muani has failed to make an impact in the Premier League since his September 2025 arrival. He has registered zero goals in 15 league appearances under Thomas Frank. Despite this, Tottenham’s hesitation stems from a lack of immediate alternatives.
Jones suggests that cutting the loan short is a big gamble. Spurs never planned for such a drastic mid-season change of plans. On top of that, leaving the squad light on attackers could derail their fragile push for European qualification.
Juventus reportedly view Kolo Muani as a solution to their own attacking problems. The 27-year-old previously enjoyed a productive loan spell there in the latter half of 2025. So, the Italian club have initiated contact to bring him back to Turin. However, the dynamics are quite messy. PSG still holds his registration. Also, relations between the Parisian giants and Juventus remain frosty following the collapsed negotiations last summer.
Spurs now find themselves trapped in a gridlock. They possess a striker who offers little on the pitch. In fact, Thomas Frank recently benched him against Burnley. Yet, they cannot easily let him go without securing a replacement like Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Dean Jones emphasises that the “fit” has clearly failed. Still, the timing of this potential breakup creates a complex triangular negotiation. This process might just run out of time before the deadline shuts.
The best path forward for Tottenham?
Tottenham must act with hard-nosed logic in these final days of the window. Keeping a striker who has contributed nothing but frustration makes zero sporting sense. This is especially true when the player clearly wants a return to Italy. Thomas Frank’s direct system evidently clashes with Kolo Muani’s style. Forcing this marriage to continue until May will likely only yield more goalless displays. It will also annoy the fans even more.
The wisest course of action involves Spurs aggressively going after a replacement. They could target the rumoured Mateta or even a short-term stopgap. After that, they should immediately facilitate Kolo Muani’s return to Juventus via PSG. This clears up the mess in the squad. It also hands Frank a forward who might actually suit his tactical demands.
However, the football business rarely moves so smoothly. The friction between Juventus and PSG will likely ruin any swift resolution despite the clear logic in parting ways. PSG have no incentive to do Juventus a favour without a mandatory purchase clause. Meanwhile, Spurs will refuse to leave themselves short-handed.
As a result, Kolo Muani will probably remain at Tottenham. He will stay stuck on the bench as an expensive, ineffective luxury until the season concludes. The Frenchman will likely drift through substitute appearances to see out his loan spell. Spurs will then limp toward the summer. They must hope their lack of January activity doesn’t cost them a European spot. The deal simply has too many moving parts to come together within the remaining hours.