New player at PSG, goalscorer at OM? L1 completes the transfer window
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Paris (AFP) – Ultimate shopping in Ligue 1 and elsewhere! Paris SG, still looking for reinforcements, and Marseille, hoping to finally land a top striker, are set to revive the final day of a fairly quiet winter transfer window on Tuesday, with only Chelsea spending big.
Time is running out for PSG in Ligue 1, hours before the January transfer window closes on Tuesday, mired in a worrying spiral and looking to make a recruit or two in attack as much as in defence, before they find the Champions League in mid-February. before.
The clock is also ticking for OM, who have already strengthened their squad but are still waiting for a licensed goalscorer after noticeably missing out on Terem Moffini (Lorient), who was expected in Nice.
In Ligue 1, clubs experienced this period of change at several paces: PSG, constrained by financial fair play, did the bare minimum, while Lyon proved to be everywhere and OM registered two spectacular arrivals, attracting the Ukrainian Ruslan Malinovski and the Moroccan. revelation Azzedine Ounahi.
With two weeks to go before the crucial first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Bayern Munich (February 14), can Paris save the transfer window?
So far, the L1 leader has only sold Spaniard Pablo Sarabia to Wolverhampton… But in terms of arrivals, that’s nothing. With football adviser Luis Campos, PSG Lyon were interested in the promise of Ryan Cherki (19), but OL did not follow through.
In defense, as last summer, Slovakian Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan was targeted. For a free transfer at the end of the season or a paid transfer on Tuesday?
“We want reinforcements,” says Galtier.
“The club is working on the arrival of at least one player. There are significant restrictions on financial fair play. We want reinforcements,” coach Christophe Gaultier said after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Reims.
Another hot topic in Paris is speculation over the departure of Keylor Navas, the No. 2 goalkeeper managed by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Supporters in Marseille were celebrated with the signing of Malinovski (Atalanta Bergamo) and Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi (22) on loan with an option to buy at WC 2022.
But the eternal search for the “big striker”, the sea serpent of recent seasons, has suffered a new setback with the possible failure of negotiations to bring Nice’s dominant Moffini (12 goals in L1 this season).
In addition to the departure of the Nigerian, who is valued at around €25m according to the press, Lorient made another nice capital gain by sending winger Dango Ouattara to Bournemouth for €20m.
Another hotspot of the Hexagonal transfer window is Lyon, a dismal 9th in Ligue 1 looking to reshape their workforce. Former host Dejan Lovren strengthened the defense and young Swede Amin Sarr arrived to decorate the attack. OL are still waiting for Brazilian winger Jeffinho to arrive on loan.
Chelsea Frenzy
But the club of Jean-Michel Aulas has become particularly lean. Winger Tete left for Leicester, Karl Toko Ekambi moved to Rennes, Romain Faivre to Lorient, Jeff Reine-Adélaide to Troyes and promising defender Malo Gusto agreed a €35m deal with Chelsea. Ronda remains on loan until the end of the last season.
But the most expensive transfer of the winter went to Monaco and the Blues defender Benoit Badiashile, who repaid around €40 million from Chelsea.
It is a symbol of the spending spree of the London club, the main animator of this January transfer window, which spent more than 200 million euros, especially to steal the Ukrainian striker Mykhailo Mudryk under the nose and beard of Arsenal (100 million euros).
Deadline day could still be alive for the Blues, who covet Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), while other big European clubs have been brave, such as Manchester City, Real Madrid or Manchester United, who did not land him in January. superstar Cristiano Ronaldo went on a golden exile in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr club.
© 2023 AFP
