Ligue 1 is preparing its offers: the summer transfer market which opens on Friday promises to be active for French clubs, cheered up by the extension of Parisian headliner Kylian Mbappé and the windfall provided by the CVC investment fund .
After several sluggish windows (apart from the PSG exception), once morest a backdrop of accounts weighed down by the failure of the broadcaster Médiapro and the Covid-19 pandemic, the L1 finally seems to be approaching a transfer window with ambitions but also means.
CVC’s investment in the new commercial subsidiary of French football, to the tune of 1.5 billion euros, is part of a vast development project for Ligue 1.
Its clubs will each receive a first payment of EUR 16.5 million this summer, to be injected as a priority into infrastructure. But those whose facilities are already optimal will be able to invest in transfers.
And the resounding extension of Mbappé’s contract until 2025, despite Real Madrid’s greed, may mark a change in dynamics for an L1 long used to letting its stars slip away.
– PSG and OM under construction –
Around the striker, PSG must rebuild a victorious project, in Ligue 1 but especially in the Champions League.
For this, the club has chosen the Portuguese Luis Campos as sports adviser, replacing the Brazilian Leonardo.
His first hot file is called Mauricio Pochettino, suspended coach but still under contract until 2023. In the event of departure, the name of Zinedine Zidane has been put forward but France Bleu reported on Wednesday a marked interest from Campos for Christophe Galtier (Nice), whom he rubbed shoulders with in Lille.
In the meantime, like every summer, PSG is facing a sales problem because of its lavish salaries.
After Angel Di Maria (end of contract), the club is considering many departures: Navas, Kurzawa, Draxler, Kehrer, Paredes or Icardi. But the last two cities have already made it known that they intend to stay…
Aligned alongside PSG in the Champions League, Marseille is also under construction.
Without Boubacar Kamara, free party at Aston Villa, the defensive structure of Jorge Sampaoli is to be rebuilt. Samuel Gigot (Spartak Moscow) will arrive, but what regarding the William Saliba (return from loan to Arsenal) and Duje Caleta-Car (end of contract in 2023) files?
At least, with the lucrative C1, president Pablo Longoria has the advantage of presenting an attractive project and having a little more financial leeway. Internally, we are targeting “two defenders, a big midfielder and a striker”, especially since the club bears the sword of Damocles of a recruitment ban in the Pape Gueye case, which will be judged by the Arbitral Tribunal. Sport.
Monaco might also play the C1, via two successive qualifying rounds. To overcome them, the ASM intends to recruit two or even three experienced players in order to balance the workforce, made up of many promising young people.
– Lacazette, big blow to OL –
ASM has a large pot with the 35 M EUR bonus received following the extension to PSG of the former Monegasque Mbappé and the sale of Aurélien Tchouaméni to Real (80 M EUR excluding bonus).
In Rennes, qualified in the Europa League, we are preparing for a new intense transfer window. “The idea is to keep the hard core as wide as possible,” assured sports director Florian Maurice.
Benjamin Bourigeaud and Hamari Traoré, courted, might see elsewhere. Martin Terrier (21 goals in L1 this season), Lovro Majer and Nayef Aguerd, tracked by West Ham, also arouse envy.
Qualified for the Europa League Conference, Nice remains suspended on the Galtier file, under contract until 2024.
If Galtier left the Aiglons, several sources mention the Swiss technician Lucien Favre, former club (2016-2018), but also the Belgian Vincent Kompany or the German Marco Rose.
Finally, Lyon’s failed season (8th in L1) put coach Peter Bosz under pressure and forced president Jean-Michel Aulas to bounce back quickly.
While “JMA” is looking for a new reference shareholder, OL have already struck a blow by bringing back Alexandre Lacazette, their former favorite scorer, who left Arsenal free.
The French international center-forward, author of 100 goals in L1, must embody the new Lyon project alongside young Caqueret, Lukeba or Gusto, while the exit door seems open for Boateng, Dubois, Aouar or even Lucas Paqueta.
In terms of recruitment, OL are looking for a central defender, two full-backs, two midfielders and another striker, with the aim of returning to the European scene next year.
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