*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:37, 12 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:14, 9 August 2024 (UTC)
Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga (born 20 January 2002), known as Arnaud Kalimuendo, is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Rennes.[3]
Born in Suresnes, Kalimuendo joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from FC Saint Cloud in July 2012. There he debuted with the under-19 squad in the UEFA Youth League, aged only 16, under the direction of Thiago Motta, becoming one of the leaders of the youth sides.[4] Kalimuendo signed his first professional contract with the club on 8 July 2019, a deal that was set to expire on 30 June 2022.[5] On 10 September 2020, Kalimuendo made his official debut for Paris Saint-Germain in a 1–0 loss against Lens.[6]
On 5 October 2020, Kalimuendo signed a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain until June 2024, and joined Lens on a season-long loan deal.[7] He made his debut in a 4–0 loss to rivals Lille on 18 October,[8] and scored his first goal in a 1–0 win against Dijon on 22 November.[9] His third goal for Lens came on 5 December in a 2–0 victory against Rennes. By scoring his third goal for the club, he became the first Lens player in 70 years to score in his first three games as a starter in Ligue 1.[10]
On 10 June 2021, it was made official by Lens that Kalimuendo would return to PSG following the end of his loan deal.[citation needed] His first appearance back at Paris Saint-Germain came in a 1–0 loss to Lille in the Trophée des Champions on 1 August 2021.[11] However, on transfer deadline day on 31 August, Kalimuendo returned to Lens on loan for the remainder of the season.[12] On 1 October, he scored his first two goals of the season in a 2–0 win over Reims. It was the first brace of his career.[13] Across his two loan spells at Lens, Kalimuendo scored 21 goals in 65 matches for the club.[14]
Kalimuendo represents France at international level. He finished third with the U17 side at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil in 2019, scoring a hat-trick in the third-place play-off to beat the Netherlands by a score of 3–1.[15]