Kali: a goal-getter and hard worker | OneFootball

An in-depth look at the new Eintracht signing, who experienced an eventful first 48 hours in Frankfurt, including an assist on his debut.

“Very impressive – a big stage,” said Arnaud Kalimuendo when, arriving from the airport a few days ago, he drove past Deutsche Bank Park for the first time and caught a glimpse of the stadium in the Stadtwald through the car window. “Eintracht are one of the biggest clubs in Germany and I’m delighted to be part of this history,” added the 23-year-old Frenchman, who has joined from English side Nottingham Forest.

“At 1.75 metres he’s not a giant, he’s very compact,” said sporting director Timmo Hardung after the forward’s transfer was completed. “But he’s both capable of and willing to put in a lot of hard yards physically – running, sprinting and operating in the danger areas. That will do us good.”

On Friday, Kalimuendo was brought on for Can Uzun in the 63rd minute of the Eagles’ home game against Borussia Dortmund. Just eight minutes later, his perfectly weighted through-ball set up Younes Ebnoutalib to score the equaliser at 2-2. It was the perfect introduction, and Kali also caused havoc in the Dortmund defence shortly before Mo Dahoud made it 3-2. 

It was an evening that will likely stay with the striker forever, and one that is only the start at his new home. 

Profile

With his stocky build and fast acceleration, Kalimuendo is hard for opposing defenders to get to grips with. Furthermore, he has a keen eye for goal, elusive movement in the penalty area and a tireless work ethic off the ball. The Eintracht podcast ‘Aufstehen mit der Eintracht’ (‘Wake up with Eintracht’) described him as a striker with “thighs like an elephant”.

Head coach Dino Toppmöller said he has “a similar profile to Jonny Burkardt,” going on to explain that “he has a really good feel for space in the box, a great finishing technique with both feet, and he’s good in the air. He moves well between the lines and has a good feel for getting involved in the play and creating attacking situations. He also has the pace to get away from opponents.” Those attributes were all on display during his debut against Dortmund. 

“He’ll give us a lot with his runs in behind the defence and his speed, and he’s also very strong in one-on-one situations,” said board member for sport Markus Krösche at the contract signing. “He showed his goal threat in France, but he also works hard off the ball.”  

Previous clubs

Kalimuendo laced his boots for Paris Saint-Germain, RC Lens and Stade Rennais FC in France. Born on 20 January 2002 in Suresnes, he started out at FC Saint-Cloud, a team based approximately 20 minutes from the Eiffel Tower. That landmark of the French capital dominates the crest of his next club, PSG, who he joined at the age of nine. He rose through the youth ranks there and made his professional debut eight years later against Lens in September 2020. 

Foe would become friend just two weeks later when he joined the city of 33,000 inhabitants in northern France. Kalimuendo contributed 21 goals and six assists in 65 competitive games for Lens, and scored his first professional goal in November 2020 in a 1-0 win over Dijon. His loan spell at the club ended in summer 2022, at which point -aged 20 - he moved on to Rennes. 

Kalimuendo matured and flourished there, gaining valuable experience. He registered 40 goals and 14 assists in 112 appearances, made his debut in European competition and scored his first goal on the continental stage. 

After three years, he took the step abroad, with Premier League side Nottingham Forest signing him ahead of the 2025/26 season. “He’s already gained a lot of experience despite his young age,” said Hardung. Now come Eintracht and the Bundesliga.

International exposure

Some of that experience was gleaned in France’s youth teams, which he represented from the U16s through to the U23s. He even scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win against Netherlands in the third-place play-off at the U17 World Cup in 2019, before picking up an Olympic silver medal in summer 2024. 

Familiar face

Kalimuendo played alongside Arthur Theate 64 times for Rennes. And now he will also wear the eagle on his chest. The warmest of welcomes to Frankfurt, Arnaud!