Icardi, Kakuta, Terrier and Alvaro animated the first part of transfer window in France. - 20 Minutes Editing

  • The French market closed at midnight on Thursday for at least four weeks. 
  • Few major movements to report in this first window, but clubs such as Nice, Lens or OM which have advanced some issues. 
  • Here is a quick overview of what has happened since June 8, while waiting for the market to reopen in August. 

France is definitely doing nothing like the others at the end of the season. The only country among the “big leagues” not to have taken up again, it is also distinguished by a transfer market cut in half. The LFP had indeed decided to advance its opening to June 8, to allow clubs to carry out operations that would balance their accounts for the traditional financial balance sheet of 30, impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Problem, UEFA then told the League that the transfer window could not exceed 12 weeks in total. Result, France, to align with a market end on October 5 like everyone else, must close it for four weeks. What she did in the night from Thursday to Friday, at midnight.

The French transfer market will have to close for a month via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/BSZYSP4AL3

- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) July 1, 2020

What happened, then, during this first month? Well, not much. France has squandered four weeks "for 5 or 6 transfers", also taunted a club president at Eurosport . Some clubs still took the opportunity to advance a little. We think of Nice, which presented last week no less than five recruits. Robson Bambu, Flavius ​​Daniliuc, Morgan Schneiderlin, Hassane Kamara and Amine Gouiri joined the Aiglons. A mixture of youth and experience to bring "aggressiveness, competitive spirit and technical quality", explained the coach Patrick Vieira.

The promoted anticipate

Two graduates were also particularly active. RC Lens, first of all, formalized five signatures: those of goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez, defenders Loïc Badé, Jonathan Clauss and Facundo Medina, and last but not least , that of striker Gaël Kakuta. A really good idea. Relegated with Amiens, the left-hander returns "where it all started", as he says. Formed in Artois, he left the club in 2007, at the age of 16, to try the adventure at Chelsea.

We can add to this list the Niçois Ignatius Ganago. The attacker was to commit Thursday evening but an administrative imbroglio had delayed the affair. Which finally concluded this Friday, for around 6 million euros. Small subtlety, the contract will be approved, but as the market is closed, its license can not be issued until August 15, the date of reopening. Until then, RC Lens will have to take out insurance for their player so that they can compete in friendly matches and train with the group, explains La Voix du Nord .

- Hello! Hello? Hello ?! Doesn't it capture Nice?
- Yes, if I hear you Arnaud.
- Ah, ok, hello. Have you replaced batteries in your minitel? Is it okay, can we formalize? Soon, sooner or now ?!
- Go for it !
- Ok, Ignatius #Ganago is Lensois! #Rclens pic.twitter.com/ElpdRMxcjJ

- Lens Racing Club (@RCLens) July 10, 2020

Lorient, meanwhile, broke his piggy bank to offer the revelation of the season in Ligue 2. The Austrian Adrian Grbic, 17 goals and 4 assists with Clermont, arrived in Brittany against some 10 million euros. A great catch, to which we must add the return of an elder, Jérémy Morel, to help the Hake stay in the elite.

The management of OM, despite rumors of takeover, has also settled some hot issues. Alvaro Gonzalez signed definitively for three years, Dimitri Payet extended by conceding a big drop in salary and above all, Pope "the future Pogba" Gueye has committed for four years. A big blow, even if it will give a little job to the Olympians lawyers. The great hope of Le Havre (21 years old) had indeed signed at first with Watford, in April, but he retracted after having noticed that the document, drawn up by his former agent, did not correspond to the commitments made by the English leaders. The English club could take legal action against OM, according to L'Equipe . Bad news, however, Isaac Lihadji, great hope for OM, signed, at 18, his first professional contract with Lille.

In the rest of the world ...

And besides that ? Some notable shots, in the absence of madness. The PSG, as expected, exercised the option to purchase Mauro Icardi. With a small discount that always does good by the way. The Argentinian will ultimately cost a little less than 60 million, against an option of 70 at the base. Stade Rennais formalized the arrival of Martin Terrier from Lyon for 12 million euros. Finally, Paul Bernardoni, after two years of loan to Nîmes, was sold by Bordeaux to Angers. Transfer amount: 7 million, plus bonuses. A record for the Pays de la Loire club.

It would be a shame to finish this paper without mentioning the case of Monaco. ASM has decided to clean up its 463 contract players. Thus, after the departure of twelve players at the end of the contract, three loaned players (Tiémoué Bakayoko, Islam Slimani and Adrien Silva), and the transfers of Kevin N'Doram in Metz and Romain Faivre in Brest, the Monaco leaders officially transferred on Wednesday their 18th player of the summer, already, in the person of Benjamin Henrichs (on loan to RB Leipzig). Recruited in 2018 for 20 million euros, the defender has never won. You can't win every time. Come on, see you in August. 

Sport

Mercato OL: Jean-Michel Aulas admits "having made a mistake" regarding Pierre Kalulu's departure from AC Milan

  • OM
  • PSG
  • OGC Nice
  • RC Lens
  • Soccer
  • Mercato
  • League 1
  • Sport