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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are preparing to face Nice at the Allianz Riviera Stadium on Saturday (April 8) in Ligue 1. Christophe Galtier’s side are the frontrunners in the title race and need a win this weekend to keep the competition at bay.
Meanwhile, attacker Lionel Messi has been backed to leave the Parc des Princes this summer. Elsewhere, Julian Nagelsmann is unlikely to take charge of the Parisians this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on April 6, 2023:
Lionel Messi backed to leave
French football expert Jonathan Johnson has backed Lionel Messi to part ways with PSG this summer.
The Argentinean is in the final months of his contract with the Parisians but hasn’t signed an extension yet. He has been heavily linked with a return to Barcelona, while Inter Miami are also eyeing the 35-year-old with interest.
In his column for Caught Offside, Johnson said that Lionel Messi is no longer indispensable to the Ligue 1 champions.
“At this moment in the PSG project, Messi doesn’t have a massive amount of leverage – his contract - which is very expensive, is expiring, and PSG need to trim their wage bill to keep in line with Financial Fair Play. There’s a growing pressure for PSG to move away from this model of bringing in ageing superstars and to build more around younger, local players,” wrote Johnson.
He continued:
“This means the likes of Messi and Sergio Ramos are becoming a little less important, with important people behind the scenes recognising the financial headache it’s giving the club. Ultimately, it will be with the Qatari owners to decide about how the project will move forwards, but it seems likely it’ll be built around Kylian Mbappe and other French players.”
Johnson said that Messi’s proposed departure this summer could point to a shift in direction in the club’s transfer plans.
“There was a sort of half-hearted effort to start this new process last summer under Luis Campos, but a lot of the signings haven’t really worked out. I think we’ll now see a more severe change in direction this summer, so it wouldn’t surprise me if we see Messi move on as part of that,” wrote Johnson.
He added:
“Things could still change, but with all the noises coming out of the Parc des Princes in the last few weeks, it does seem more and more likely that Messi’s future ultimately lies away from PSG as things stand.”
Messi has 18 goals and 17 assists in 33 games across competitions for the French giants this season.
Julian Nagelsmann unlikely to take charge in Paris
Jonathan Johnson reckons Julian Nagelsmann is unlikely to take charge at PSG if Christophe Galtier departs.
The French manager is likely to be sacked this summer after failing to meet expectations at the Parc des Princes. Nagelsmann recently parted ways with Bayern Munich and has been heavily linked with the hot seat in Paris.
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Johnson outlined the reasons why the German manager may not be well suited for the role.
“In terms of Nagelsmann and a rumoured approach from PSG, he’s a bright manager, and the club will know him well from coming up against him in the Champions League, but I think there’d be a couple of issues with him,” wrote Johnson.
He added:
“Because of his age, he seemed to struggle to a certain extent with the Bayern dressing room, so I don’t see that he’d be better suited to what would be awaiting him in that department at PSG.
"There’s also the cultural consideration as well – he’d have to adapt to life in France and learn a new language, and it’s also worth noting that PSG feel they have a manager of the future of their own who’s in a similar age group in the form of Thiago Motta.”
Nagelsmann is also among the candidates for the permanent position at Chelsea.
PSG planning to target more French players
The Ligue 1 giants are planning to target more French players this summer, according to Le Parisien.
The French giants have targeted big names in the game recently, including the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos. However, their transfer tactics have not bore fruit, so the Parisians are ready to alter their approach.
The Ligue 1 champions are planning to target young French players to build a team around Kylian Mbappe. The French forward is heavily linked with a move away from Paris, with Real Madrid being touted as a potential destination. The club are hoping that targeting local and younger players would please the 24-year-old and convince him to stay in Paris.
