Summary Media speculation has gone into overdrive again with another Cup of Nations looming in South Africa.
JOHANNESBURG: Tresor Mputu has been linked with a move to a European league almost as many times as he has scored for his club and country.
And the diminutive 27-year-old midfield talisman has netted more than 200 goals for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Tout Puissant Mazembe club based in southern mining city Lubumbashi.
Media speculation has gone into overdrive again with another Cup of Nations looming in South Africa, and claims have been made that a good showing by Mputu will finally see him leave his homeland for a foreign club.
His most amazing scoring achievement was finishing leading scorer in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup club competitions -- in the same year.
Although Mazembe were eliminated after the final qualifying round for the 2007 Champions League, his nine-goal haul was not equalled, despite some rivals playing 10 matches more.
His team dropped to the second-tier Confederation Cup and his 10 goals in eight games topped the scoring charts in that competition although other contenders had the huge advantage of an extra 10 games.
Mazembe failed to make the Cup final, but were African champions within two years, retained the title in 2010 and caused the greatest FIFA Club World Cup shock by reaching the final at the expense of Brazilians Internacional.
Mputu missed the world championship in the United Arab Emirates as a one-year worldwide ban was still in force for chasing a referee, cornering him and kicking him brutally during a regional club tournament in Rwanda.
The only surprise when he returned to action was that it took him 46 minutes to score in a domestic league game -- such are the expectations heaped on him that most Congolese thought it would take him far less time.
Experienced DR Congo coach Claude le Roy lavishes praise on the star who scores regularly despite operating in midfield, and it is not unusual for him to head goals after outjumping much taller opponents.
"The national team cannot do without Mputu, without his creativity, without his talent. He has incredible technical qualities and does things during training that very few footballers are capable of.
"He can play for any club in the world," boasts the Cup of Nations-winning Frenchman of a star who joined Mazembe from Kin City 11 years ago and has with the Ravens since.
