With accounts weighed down by the pandemic and the Mediapro imbroglio, the Ligue 1 clubs are preparing for a winter transfer window, from Saturday until February 1, where “it will be necessary to be smart” to use the expression of the boss of the ‘OM.
Paris SG, the unknown Pochettino
Thomas Tuchel officially sacked since Tuesday, the Parisian winter transfer window will be largely conditioned by the new coach, who should be the Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino. It could come up with targeted needs. The priority will be to strengthen the position of center-forward, long left to the sole responsibility of young Moise Kean (20 years old). According to the press, Paris Saint-Germain could make its market in Italy (Dybala, Milik, Eriksen), even on the side of South America, the continent of origin of Pochettino, or even turn to Tottenham, the previous one. Argentinian technician club.
If the PSG was for a time cited among the potential candidates to welcome Lionel Messi (at the end of his contract at FC Barcelona on June 30), because of his financial strength and the relationship of the six-fold Ballon d’Or with Neymar, now , Paris has other more urgent files to deal with. And like the vast majority of European clubs, PSG will also have to deal with a complicated situation with declining revenues.
Marseille will have to “be smart”
“The transfer window promises to be difficult,” said Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud at the microphone of France Bleu Provence, adding that “it will be necessary to be smart”. Also affected by the economic crisis and the Mediapro imbroglio, OM will have to downsize to hope to strengthen. On the departures side, the candidates remain the same, in particular Morgan Sanson, Duje Caleta-Car, Kostas Mitroglou, Boubacar Kamara or Kevin Strootman, even Florian Thauvin, at the end of their contract in June.
“Extending contracts in this uncertain situation is very difficult for all clubs,” said managing director in charge of football, Pablo Longoria, in La Provence, specifying that the Marseille club is preparing “different scenarios” for Thauvin. If the world champion left OM this winter, rather than leaving free in the summer, the club would recover some money, but very far from the 80 million euros, estimated value of the player a year ago and a half… Concerning the arrivals, Portuguese coach André Villas-Boas is still waiting for a top striker to compete with Dario Benedetto.
Lyon, the Depay soap opera
In Lyon, the soap opera Memphis Depay, which wanted to leave this summer, could resume. The OL captain has been courted in particular by AC Milan and FC Barcelona, since the arrival of his compatriot Ronald Koeman who led him when he was coach of the Netherlands. However, a departure seems complicated given the economic context.
For the rest, a loan from the Brazilian Jean Lucas, little used, is under consideration, while Moussa Dembélé, who could also leave the club, will be unavailable for several weeks due to a broken arm. On the arrivals side, the L1 leader could however seize opportunities, despite a calm transfer window announced by sports director Juninho. OL would notably be on the track of the Argentine right side of River Plate Gonzalo Montiel (23 years old).
Stability expected in Bordeaux and elsewhere …
For the other L1 clubs, the trend is towards stability: most will not make big maneuvers in the face of market difficulties. Hard hit by the pandemic, some will need to reduce their payroll in order to gain margin to negotiate possible arrivals. This is the case for example of Bordeaux, even if Jean-Louis Gasset would like to recruit a center forward and a strong number 6, or even of Lens, Monaco and Montpellier. In Nantes, the transfer window should be rather quiet: the club wants to give time to the new technician, Raymond Domenech, to know his group.
However, some clubs stand out with a clear desire to strengthen themselves. In Brittany, Brest is looking for a middle to replace Ibrahima Diallo, who left for Southampton, and Lorient targets an attacker and a right-back. Nice is actively working to compensate for the absence of Dante, broke by a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the left knee in early November, and Saint-Étienne could see the return, on loan, of the club child William Saliba, who left for Arsenal this summer.
