Ten days before the end of the transfer window, ASSE has still not recorded a single recruit. Between financial blockages and illegible strategy, concern is growing in Forez.
The calm is dead, but the storm is brewing. While the calendar shows January 21, AS Saint-Étienne presents a poor balance sheet on the transfer market: zero official recruits. This radio silence contrasts sharply with the promises of a winter transfer window presented at the end of December as a major lever for the rise to Ligue 1. While the club, currently 3rd in Ligue 2, is engaged in a tight race for direct accession, the inaction of management is starting to weigh heavily. The supporters, who remember the failed winter transfer window of last season, do not understand why the priority site of the midfielder remains fallow.
The shadow of an “invisible obstacle”
Paradoxically, the arrival of Kilmer Sports Ventures was to guarantee financial firepower. However, an invisible obstacle seems to be blocking the machine. Despite having full pockets in theory, the club faces strict regulatory constraints, notably squad quotas which require downsizing before purchasing. The new strategy driven by Ivan Gazidis, made up of rationalization and a “data” approach, clashes with the urgency on the ground. Where the green people expect immediate and experienced reinforcements, management seems entangled in complex administrative management, giving the impression of a slow-motion transfer window.
The problem is not only structural, it is also seductive. ASSE is struggling to convince its priority targets. Tracks like Jonathan Varane or Enzo Bardeli have failed, with players favoring Ligue 1 or other projects. This lack of attractiveness is accentuated by the vagueness surrounding the future of coach Eirik Horneland. The perceived instability of his position cools some potential recruits who hesitate to commit to a project where the coach is not completely secure. Horneland himself is navigating troubled waters, publicly claiming not to ask for anything while recognizing the dire needs of his workforce.
A worrying lack of attractiveness for ASSE
There is a total gap between current needs and movements behind the scenes. The only credible rumor concerns David Mimbanga Cameroonian midfielder born in 2008. If this “nugget” profile is promising for the 2026-2027 horizon, it absolutely does not respond to the immediate imperative of densifying the midfield to play the climb in February. This double-speed strategy, which favors post-training over
“ready to play”, frustrates a base of supporters who see time slipping away.
Ten days before the market closes, the time is no longer for clever calculations but for action. If Ivan Gazidis wants to prove that he is the architect of renewal and not a leader who “talks a lot but signs little”,
he must resolve the situation now. Without reinforcements between now and January 31, the dream of Ligue 1 could well be shattered on the altar of Saint-Etienne’s inaction.
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