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RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan has revealed that he turned down the chance to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the summer.
The Parisians went through a major squad restructuring in the recently concluded transfer window, signing multiple young players. They actively tried to reinforce their defense, with Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar one of their targets. As per PSG Talk, Simakan was their alternate option if they couldn't sign Skriniar.
The French giants ultimately didn't sign either player. Simakan has now confirmed the club's interest in him to L'Equipe (as quoted by Fabrizio Romano on Twitter):
“Paris Saint-Germain were interested in signing me, it’s true. Luis Campos spoke to my agents.”
He also outlined his reasons for choosing to stay in the Bundesliga with Leipzig:
“I’ve decided to stay as stability is key for me — it was agreed with RB Leipzig board.”
The French centre-back has played a key role for his side so far this season. Simakan has already made 17 appearances across all competitions for Leipzig, scoring twice and laying out four assists while keeping five clean sheets.
His current deal at the Red Bull Arena is set to run until 2026 and it remains to be seen if PSG will try to sign the player in the future.
PSG's defense has not been at its best this season
PSG have made headlines thanks to their incredible attacking play so far this season. Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe have been in tremendous form, contributing a combined 43 goals and 28 assists.
However, the Parisians have had issues defensively, having stuck to the same core from previous seasons.
They have conceded only eight times in Ligue 1, keeping eight clean sheets, but have been found out repeatedly in the UEFA Champions League. Christophe Galtier's side are yet to keep a clean sheet in Europe, shipping six goals in five matches.
Regardless of their occasional defensive lapses, PSG have put together an unbeaten start to the campaign. They have 11 victories and two draws in 13 Ligue 1 matches, picking up 35 points. The Parisians are five clear of RC Lens in second place.
Galtier's troops are also at the top of their Champions League group, having picked up 11 points from five matches. They are level with SL Benfica and need a win against Juventus in Turin on Wednesday (November 2) to enter the knockouts as group winners.
