Who is Arnaud Kalimuendo? Eintracht want to keep him

Eintracht Frankfurt are in active negotiations with Nottingham Forest over a permanent deal for striker Arnaud Kalimuendo, with BILD reporting that sporting director Markus Krösche is fighting to secure the 24-year-old’s future in Frankfurt without triggering the €27 million purchase option included in his January loan agreement.

Forest have decided to sell Kalimuendo this summer, which has opened a direct line of communication between the two clubs. Eintracht’s position is clear: they want to keep the striker but cannot justify €27 million given their current financial situation and the absence of European football next season. They are pushing for a deal not exceeding €20 million, even acknowledging that figure would represent a stretch.

Nottingham Forest, having paid €30 million for Kalimuendo last summer, will want to recover as much of that investment as possible. A swift conclusion is not expected. As Nottingham Forest and Eintracht begin working through the numbers, both clubs are braced for an extended period of negotiation.

One factor works significantly in Frankfurt’s favour: Kalimuendo himself can envision staying at the club. That personal preference gives Eintracht a meaningful advantage at the negotiating table, reducing the risk of a third-party club stepping in and offering Forest closer to their valuation.

Arnaud Kalimuendo: The career path that explains why Nottingham Forest wasted him

Kalimuendo was born on 20 January 2002 in Suresnes, a suburb of Paris, and joined PSG’s academy at the age of 10. He became one of the biggest youth prospects in French football, signing his first professional contract at 17, but the arrival of players like Messi, Neymar and Mbappe at the Parc des Princes made first-team minutes impossible to come by. Two loan spells at RC Lens followed, where he thrived, before PSG sold him to Stade Rennes for €20 million in 2022.

What Kalimuendo did at Rennes was extraordinary. Across three Ligue 1 seasons, he produced 10, 17 and 21 goal contributions respectively, totalling 48 across 112 appearances and establishing himself as one of the most consistent and exciting strikers in French football. Nottingham Forest paid €30 million to bring him to the Premier League last summer. He played 14 times and contributed two goal involvements. The mismatch between his Rennes record and his Forest experience is one of the more bewildering deployment failures of last season.

Arnaud Kalimuendo: Player profile and style of play

Kalimuendo is a 1.75 metre centre forward who operates with a combination of athleticism, technique and flair that makes him genuinely difficult to categorise. His top speed and acceleration are arguably his strongest assets, making him a nightmare to defend against in transition when space opens up behind a defensive line. Despite his height, he possesses surprising physical strength, allowing him to compete effectively with larger defenders and win physical battles in and around the box.

One of his most effective habits is his tendency to float into half-spaces, particularly on the left, where he receives the ball with his back to goal and uses his physicality and agility to turn defenders before driving play forward. He offers genuine versatility when receiving in those areas: he can hold the ball up and lay it off, turn and play a forward pass, or turn and carry the ball himself into more dangerous positions.

His progressive passing and carrying numbers from his final Rennes season were elite for a striker: 2.55 progressive passes per 90 minutes, placing him in the 85th percentile, and 2.11 progressive carries per 90 minutes, placing him in the 87th percentile. These numbers reflect a striker who contributes actively to build-up play rather than simply waiting for the ball in the final third.

His off-ball movement inside the box is another clear strength. He makes intelligent runs to the near and far post but particularly loves receiving cutback passes, where his instinctive first-touch finishing, often with the inside of his foot, makes him extremely dangerous. That quality has drawn comparisons to Luka Jovic in his 2018/19 Eintracht Frankfurt form.

Where Arnaud Kalimuendo is weaker

Kalimuendo’s biggest limitation is his chance creation. He has never recorded more than three assists in a Ligue 1 season, and his final Rennes campaign produced just 0.66 key passes per 90 minutes and 0.07 expected assists per 90 minutes, placing him in the 28th percentile for that metric. He is a striker who contributes to progression and finishes chances rather than one who creates them at volume for others. For a team that needs its forward to generate as well as convert, that is a meaningful limitation.

Can Eintracht Frankfurt and Nottingham Forest agree on a Kalimuendo fee?

Krösche has signalled his intent through public comments, acknowledging the need to concentrate Eintracht’s investments while simultaneously making clear that compelling players can unlock additional budget. Kalimuendo’s five-goal haul and several assists during his Frankfurt loan spell appears to have convinced the club he is worth the fight.

The gap between what Eintracht will pay and what Forest need to recoup remains significant. The €1.5 million loan fee already paid provides minimal credit against a potential permanent deal, and Forest paid €30 million less than 12 months ago. Whether they are willing to accept a €20 million return on that investment, or whether they hold firm until another buyer closes the gap further, will determine whether this deal happens at all. Long negotiations are expected. Both clubs have been warned.