All is not well at the home of the Ligue 1 reigning champions and the locals are getting restless in Paris, after yet another season without European success.
Since Qatar Sports Investment bought the club in 2011, Les Parisiens have totally dominated the French domestic league, but they have barely laid a glove on Europe’s big clubs or got near to Champions League glory, with the notable exception of a final appearance in 2020 when they were beaten 1-0 by FC Bayern. Since then they have reverted to type and PSG bowed out in the Champions League Round of 16 this year.
The club’s Ligue 1 2023 results have been good enough to open up an uncatchable six-point lead with two games to play, but that’s not been good enough for the PSG fans who were dismayed, a couple of weeks ago, when Lionel Messi went missing on a trip to Saudi when he should have been in Paris. And the clubs Ultra fans were filmed, last week, chanting for the board to resign, outside the PSG headquarters; and then they moved on to the home of Brazil star Neymar, calling for him too to leave their club.
Well the PSG Ultras will get their wish on that one.
Neymar’s people are already working hard to find him his next club and, reports have emerged n England that Manchester United have been offered a chance to sign the star. Whether he would be a good fit for the Old Trafford side, which is in the midst of its own transition period under Erik Ten Hag, is questionable, but it would make commercial sense in terms of shirt sales and sponsorship. The player’s wages and his ability to settle in the demanding Premier League may also be a worry so I suspect we are more likely to see him return to Spain.
Here at SBOTOP, we’ll be following this story which is due to reach a climax over the next few weeks but, in the meantime, PSG still have two games to play and Neymar is likely to feature. And, in better news for the fans, rumours of a big-name player going the other way are gathering pace as Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio is reported to be inching closer to a move to the Parc des Princes in the summer. Asensio will become a free agent at the end of the season and is the kind of player PSG would need to start their rebuild after the likely departures of Messi and Neymar.
Asensio has been offered a new contract by Los Blancos, but he is in advanced talks with the French champions after his discussions with the Madrid club hit a rocky patch in May. And the board is further trying to appease fans and strengthen their squad with a move for FC Bayern wingback and France favourite Lucas Hernandez. The French media says a deal is moving closer by the day, though the club does have a Plan B, with Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte in their sights.
Elsewhere, Champions League qualifiers RC Lens are bracing themselves to lose one of their best players, as reports are circling that striker Lois Openda would be interested in moving to Italy, where AC Milan are said to be keen. I Rossoneri have spoken to the Belgian’s representatives and have been advised that a 40m Euros package will be needed to sign the sharpshooter, who has scored 19 goals and made three assists in 36 appearances for his club.
Nantes vs Auxerre for the final relegation place
With four teams set to drop to Ligue 2, as the top flight reduces to 18 teams, there’s a distinct possibility that one of France’s big guns is about to be relegated. At the start of the campaign, the Ligue 1 2023 betting odds didn’t have Nantes as a candidate for the drop but, with two games to play, the 2022 Coupe de France winners are in serious trouble. A run of two points from six games has left Les Canaris in the bottom four, a point behind Auxerre in the last safe spot. Angers Ajaccio and Troyes are already down, and Nantes have a home game against Angers on the last day, while Auxerre have a tough game away to Toulouse before hosting high-flying Lens on the final day.
I think Nantes might just squeeze through to safety.
At the other end of the table, with PSG, Lens, and Marseille in the Champions League and Monaco currently fourth, Lyon, Rennes and Lille are also fighting over the Europa League places; and the biggest game of the weekend pitches Monaco away to Rennes. The hosts are in better form, with four wins from six while Monaco have won just two in six, and a home win will really shake things up before the final day.
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