. PSG still under construction
With the departures of Leo Messi and Sergio Ramos, PSG quickly embarked on summer maneuvers. With the aim of renewing the squad and giving a new lease of life to this team, which has shown a lot of shortcomings and little desire in the second part of the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
The construction of the team around Kylian Mbappé, in the last year of contract, still remains the priority of the leaders, who will also have to monitor the situation of the Brazilian Neymar, at the end of his contract in 2025 but who could have desires elsewhere.
The potential departure of this other star of L1, after that of Messi, not to mention the criticism of the Argentine on his two years in Paris, would be a new blow for the championship.
Above all, the mission for the football advisor Luis Campos will be to better succeed in his recruitment, after the failed one last year: Hugo Ekitike, Fabian Ruiz, Carlos Soler and to a lesser extent Vitinha have not progressed the red and blue.
This week, the Portuguese has already made good progress on his pawns, always relying on agent Jorge Mendes. The first two recruits of the summer transfer window are close to signing. Spanish striker Marco Asensio, free from Real Madrid, and Uruguayan defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte (22, Sporting Portugal) had their medical in Paris on Monday.
PSG are still looking for defenders and the name of Slovakian Milan Skriniar of Inter Milan, free but dragging a back injury, may quickly return to the table because negotiations began nearly a year ago.
Paris is also interested in 2018 world champion defender Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich) and striker Marcus Thuram (Mönchengladbach) to "francize" the squad.
On the bench, the Qatari leaders are leaning to find a replacement for Christophe Galtier, who was informed of his departure earlier this week.
Luis Campos will also have to manage the many loan returns that could well pollute the summer of PSG (Kurzawa, Wijnaldum, Paredes, Draxler ...). This problem could thwart potential beautiful moves, such as the arrivals of strikers Victor Osimhen and Bernado Silva.
. OM, perpetual motion
As last season, OM is looking for a coach, after the resignation of Igor Tudor, while his players finished the season in 3rd place, forced to go through a preliminary round and a play-off for the C1.
Former Olympique de Marseille coach Igor Tudor in the Francois Coty stadium in Ajaccio in France June 3, 2023 © Pascal POCHARD-CASABIANCA / AFP
Since 2016 and the arrival of Frank McCourt as owner, Rudi Garcia, André Villas-Boas, Jorge Sampaoli and Igor Tudor have settled on the bench.
This time, "we are looking for a personality and a style of play that suit what we want to offer," explained Pablo Longoria, the Marseille president, who has activated several tracks.
On the side of the squad, the most important file is that of Alexis Sanchez. Longoria would like to keep his Chilean striker for another season, and has offered him a pay rise.
Some files also remain pending, such as the case of Mattéo Guendouzi who was thought to be leaving and which is less so now that there is no longer Tudor. Conversely, Sead Kolasinac's extension, which seemed certain, could depend on the next coach.
. Openda on the start?
For its return to the Champions League, RC Lens, who finished one unit away from PSG, should be able to count on his coach Franck Haise.
On the other hand, the Blood and Gold could see the departure of their center forward Lois Openda (21 goals this season), under contract until 2027 but courted by RB Leipzig, according to media reports.
AS Monaco, which had a complicated end of the year because not qualified for Europe, has dismissed its coach Philippe Clement and is looking for a new coach. Conversely, Rennes, qualified in C3, will keep its coach Bruno Genesio, who wants to improve his squad. The Belgian Jeremy Doku could leave Brittany for a big amount.
In Lille, the departure of Jonathan David, one of the best scorers of the season could also slip, in addition to Jonathan Bamba, certain to leave the club.
© 2023 AFP