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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are expected to have a busy month of January ahead. Christophe Galtier could be interested in a few additions to his squad as he searches for silverware this season.
Meanwhile, tennis great Rafael Nadal has said that he's delighted that Lionel Messi won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Elsewhere, former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon believes Los Blancos are unlikely to launch a €1 billion move for Kylian Mbappe.
On that note, here's a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on December 23, 2022:
Rafael Nadal delighted for Lionel Messi
Rafael Nadal has said that he's happy to see Lionel Messi lift the Holy Grail of football. The PSG superstar ended his decade-long quest for the biggest prize in football at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The 35-year-old ran the show for Argentina, helping his nation win their third World Cup.
Speaking to AS, Nadal said that he was emotional when Messi scored the third goal in the final.
“I was going with the show, because unfortunately Spain left in the round of 16. It was a spectacular final. I feel sorry for many French friends that I have and for all that Paris and France mean to me. But I also have many Argentine friends and in that sense, as a lover and nostalgic for sport, Messi lifting the World Cup made me happy,” said Nadal.
He continued:
“That someone so great culminates with a title that was missing, of this caliber, with all that it means for Argentina, it seemed fair to me, I enjoyed it and I was moved. Without going with Argentina, when Messi scored the third goal tears came to my eyes.”
He concluded:
“But because of the emotion of seeing someone so great achieve what this was missing and that he had suffered so much to achieve it. I really enjoyed the final, especially from minute 70 onward, which was spectacular.”
Messi scored seven goals and registered three assists in seven games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Real Madrid's €1 billion Kylian Mbappe move unlikely, says Ramon Calderon
Real Madrid are unlikely to launch a €1 billion move for Kylian Mbappe, according to Ramon Calderon. The Frenchman is reportedly unsettled at PSG and wants to leave the club. The Parisians tied him down to a new deal this January, but the player’s future remains up in the air. Recent reports have said that Los Blancos are preparing a colossal offer for the Frenchman.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Calderon said that those reports are wide off the mark.
“I think it’s a joke! Many newspapers here said in the summer that Kylian Mbappe was coming to Real Madrid, they even said when – the day, the time, the place, the people who will be with him – so you know what happens sometimes with newspapers, they have to cover a lot of pages and a lot of rumours to keep the attention of the readers,” said Calderon.
He added:
“But I think it’s a joke to say that a club could pay €1bn for one player. Mainly because the player still belongs to a club and he said in the summer that he didn’t want to leave. So if you ask me about this rumour, I can’t believe it, really. Could a football club ever pay €1bn for a player? You know football, never say never… but nowadays I think that would be impossible.”
Mbappe has appeared 20 times for PSG this season across competitions, scoring 19 goals and setting up five more.
PSG interested in Marco Asensio
PSG are interested in Marco Asensio, according to SPORT via PSG Talk. The Spaniard is in the final year of his contract with Real Madrid but is yet to sign a new deal. The Parisians are planning to take the player to the Parc des Princes if he's available on a Bosman move in the summer. The 26-year-old has been through mixed times with Los Blancos in recent seasons.
However, his stock remains high, with his ability to carry out various roles on the pitch making him an enticing option. The Ligue 1 champions are impressed by his versatility and want to add him to Christophe Galtier’s attack. However, Real Madrid remain eager to tie the player down to a new deal. Asensio has appeared 15 times across competitions for the Spanish giants this season, registering three goals and as many assists.
