Monaco (AFP)

With the signing of French international striker Wissam Ben Yedder, transferred from Sevilla for 40 million euros and becoming the 3rd most expensive player in the club's history, Monaco is materializing its ambitions.

It is little to say that the slap received at home against Lyon (0-3) Friday at the opening of the championship displeased Dmitri Rybolovlev, Russian billionaire owner of AS Monaco.

He asked his vice-president Oleg Petrov to accelerate the transfer window. The latter had already told AFP last week that he was working "on the arrival of a central defender, a midfielder, a forward striker and a center-forward", while specifying want to "invest on confirmed players".

In one week, Petrov achieved two of four goals. After the signing, for 17 million euros, of Nigerian international striker Henry Onyekuru, excellent last season in Galatasaray, he was able to seduce Wissam Ben Yedder.

The signature of WBY is in the category of very large transfers in the history of the club. With 40 million euros, the amount of its release clause, it has become the most important investment of the club since Radamel Falcao (60M EUR in 2013) and James Rodriguez (45M EUR, also in 2013).

If we add the 30 million euros spent on the final acquisition of the Portuguese striker Gelson Martins, Monaco has invested heavily on few recruits.

- WBY associated with the Tiger? -

And it's not over. For if the club could play the clock on the central defender's record, he wants to attract at least one more midfielder. The names of French internationals Tiémoué Bakayoko (Chelsea) and Blaise Matuidi (Juventus) are cited.

Monaco could also hire a new striker to replace Falcao, who has already agreed with Galatasaray on a three-year contract. But who would prefer a return to Spain, Valencia.

Petrov would like to retain his captain, at the end of the contract in June. This would allow the latter to engage freely where he wants. But at age 33, Falcao, who has already broken the cruciate ligaments of each knee, wants contractual certainties about his future. Monaco will not give it to him.

The club is looking for a replacement of its caliber. If the track Icardi (Inter Milan) has refreshed, the Tiger will be replaced only by a player of this level of notoriety and quality, provided internally.

Meanwhile Falcao is Monegasque. And with Ben Yedder, it's another real European star that the club has engaged. The latter becomes one of the headliners of the club's new project and also represents a guarantee of security for new recruits.

- Mbappé congratulates "Miarma" -

In three seasons in Seville, his status has changed. He left in legend a club which he became the fourth best scorer in history.

His last season was the most successful, with 18 goals and 9 assists in La Liga.

But it is in the spring of 2018 that he entered the hearts of fans. Thanks to his double in 4 minutes (74th and 78th) at Old Trafford against Manchester United (2-1 victory) which qualified Sevilla for the quarter-finals of the C1.

Since then, the one who has been nicknamed "Miarma" ("My soul" in Andalusian) has changed category. And to seduce this 29-year-old French international (4 caps, 1 goal), Monaco offered him a golden bridge: a 5-year contract at conditions above the annual 4 million euros of his Sevillian salary.

It is therefore in star that the kid of Alfortville, trained in futsal, revealed late with Toulouse (156 matches and 63 goals in L1) returns to France, with the mission to revive Monaco. Even Kylian Mbappé congratulated him on social networks. That's saying everything ...

© 2019 AFP